


The Heart and the Head

by mariesanasz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, F/M, Harry Potter Gets the Love He Deserves, Harry Potter In Love, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Triwizard Tournament, harry potter and original character, harry potter love story - Freeform, viktor krum brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 44,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariesanasz/pseuds/mariesanasz
Summary: Harry Potter and Aurora Wyer could never bemore than five minutes in the same place without throwing screams at each other. To the girl, Potter was always a nosy, arrogant boy with an passive stance on the nonsense his best friend would tell other people for no reason at all, and who thought the rules applied to everyone but him, simply because he was the headmaster's protege.As for Potter... For him, the redhead was too much work. She didn't needed to try very hard, there was never anyone so skilled at taking the patience out of the boy in such a short time. Harry never understood the girl's hatred for him or why as soon as they entered Hogwarts he noticed the her. With her funny comments and personality that seemed to attract the most diverse types of people without much difficulty, he always found her quite interesting. However, nothing but screams were ever directed at the boy.Now, having to deal with dreams she doesn't understand, a school where everyone hates her and the eminent feeling that something very bad is going to happen, Aurora is about to learn that not everything nor everyone are what they look like
Relationships: Ginny Weasley/Original Male Character(s), Harry Potter/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Other(s), Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Marlene McKinnon/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Viktor Krum/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	1. New Begginings

Aurora woke up in cold sweat. Merlin how she hated those dreams, besides the growing frustration of not being able to sleep properly, she hated the fact that they didn’t made any sense. At this point, however, she was used to dreaming about things she didn’t understand. Last year was about a black dog, Sirius Black and a weird man.

Aria took a deep breath and sat up on her bed, still a bit shaken of what she dreamt. Her forehead was burning as if someone was actually trying to burn a whole at it; her body was sore and tense. She groaned and sat up straight, her head still heavy and her back hurting more than it normally did. She turned her gaze to the watch at her bedside table and saw that it wasn’t even three am yet; with an annoyed sigh, she threw her head back at the pillow.

“Ouch” she muttered and closed her eyes.

Aurora closed her eyes trying to remember what she dreamt. It wasn’t very clear for her, she remembered a very creepy baby with two men she didn’t recognized. Actually; now that she thought about it, she did recognized one of them. It was the same man she saw with professor Lupin in a dream last year, when she saw an old house with Black, Lupin and the gryffindor “golden trio”; Potter, Weasley and Hermione.

She also remembered from her latest dream that they had a muttering snake, which was definably not creepy. _Not at all_. Because weird would it be if snakes didn’t actually mutter things to their owners, right? Aurora also remembered a voice, a voice so cold that the girl felt a shiver go down her spine just by thinking about it. With a frustrate sigh the redheaded girl turned to the side and tried to sleep again, she wished she had someone to ask about all of this, but she doubt that her father would know anything about it and to be completely honest; she probably was just overreacting.

The ginger girl took another deep breath and closed her eyes. _“It was only a dream, I shouldn’t be worried about it,”_ she thought.

\-------------------

The next morning came earlier than Rora would like it too. The main reason was that it was her fourteenth birthday and the first one she was celebrating in France. Yes, she had recently moved to France and to Beauxbatons, as a matter of fact, which she didn’t really enjoyed. Not that she had anything against that school, which she did, but she was sad to leave her friends back at Hogwarts. Aurora had to move because her dad had just been rearranged in his muggle-job and since he so kindly accepted her being a witch and she saw how much he had to work so she could go to her school she didn’t had the heart to tell him she didn’t wanted to go. Plus, her baby brother got an scholarship to a very good school and since he was a muggle it could do wonders in his life.

The man was now standing at her bedroom door with a birthday cake in his hand and a birthday hat on his head. He was singing happily while trying hard not to drop the cake.

“Happy birthday, dear. I love you,” he said while coming closer to her bed, he putted the cake on her bed and gave the girl a kiss on the top of her head. Aurora laughed slightly and gave her dad a hug.

“Thanks dad, love you too;” she thanked taking the strawberry from the top of the cake.

“I expect to earn a raise this year, so when you come back from school we can go and buy you a new wand. A wand that, like as you say and I quote, “would choose you”,” the man said and Aurora laughed slightly.

“It’s alright dad, really. My wand is working just fine” assured the girl, and the man smiled gratefully.

“Fourteen years, hum? Merlin, you’ve grown so fast,” he muttered and Rory chuckled.

“Merlin? Since when you use that expression?” she teased and the man laughed.

“Since you started to use it at all times and situations” said the man and the girl slapped him playfully.

“I do not,” she argued and he laughed.

“Well; here is you birthday present” the man said and gave her an envelope.

Aurora looked at him confused.

“Well; I wasn’t what I was planning on giving you. But, it was what we could afford that I thought you would like” said the man giving her an envelope.

Rora take the paper and broke the seal, once she fully got the paper out of the envelope she let out a scream of happiness and threw her hands around her dad’s neck.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you” she said happily. The man laughed and hugged her back.

“Alright, alright. I’ve also talked to Cece; she will come to pick you up. She said that Nico and Fay will meet you all there,” said the man and Aurora grinned widely.

“Thank you so much dad;” thanked the girl.

“It was a pleasure. You deserve it. It mustn’t be easy for you to leave your friends. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate it, very much,” said the man softly and Aurora agreed.

“It’s okay” she said and gave a big smile.

“I’m going to the Quidditch World Cup” celebrated the girl and her father laughed.

She was going to see her three best friends before officially moving to France. Rory was about to say something, but a sound at the door caught her attention.

“Dad! You should’ve wait for me!” Gabriel whinnied at the door and Rora got up.

“I called you, but you didn’t woke up” defended the man and Aurora eyed her baby brother maliciously.

“I can’t believe. Not even on my birthday you got up on time…. Tsk, tsk. Such a terrible baby brother I have. I guess I will need a revenge now” said Aurora. The little boy widened his eyes.

“No, Rora; no.” he said backing out of the room.

“I go to the left and you to the right,” said the girl and her father grinned in agreement.

The little boy ran out of the room with the other two running after him. After they finally managed to catch the boy at the living room, Aurora, her dad and her baby brother got into a very intense tickle war.

After they all tired up, Francis, also known as the dad, told them to go start to get ready for the day. Aurora was still giggling at the previous tickle fight she had with her family as she walked straight back to her room. She took a jeans short and a simple t-shirt out of her wardrobe before going to the bathroom.

Aurora looked at her own reflection and started to laugh again. Her red hair was all over the place and with more knots than she would like, her brownish green eyes still had traces of the laughing tears she was sharing a few moments ago and her normally pale face was extremely red. The girl got into the shower and started to untangle her hair, which was now almost impossible. After a few good minutes, she finally managed to get rid of all the knots but was left with a very sore scalp.

The ginger girl changed into her clothes and went back to her room, her bedroom was actually pretty small but she was content. Her new house was smaller than the one they had in London, but she didn’t really minded. Her father worked at a company and wasn’t paid very well; he tried to find another job but people didn’t seemed to want to hire a single father. This was an excellent opportunity, there wouldn’t be much of a raise, but the company would pay for her brother studies so that made a real difference. Aurora sighed contently and started to walk towards her bed, avoiding the boxes. Her belongings were everywhere and a lot of work would need to be done. Other than that, it almost looked like it was clean.

Aria took another look at her ticket to the Quidditch world cup and grinned. She was going, yes! Yes! Yes! She was going to see the amazing final match between Ireland and Bulgaria, and she was almost certain that Ireland was going to win. Both teams were really good, but she knew that Ireland was better; even if they didn’t had the world’s best seeker.

Seeker. The unfunniest position on the game, in the girls’ opinion. The seeker were normally the glory chaser type, just like the Hogwarts golden boy Harry Potter. Aurora let out an annoyed sigh just by remembering the boy. God, she just couldn’t stand him! She hated how he was just too petulant and the way he just went along with everything Weasley said. He was not very different from a few purebloods Aurora met at the school, she recalled him pulling a face every time Cece went to sit at the gryffindor table with her for breakfast just because she was a Slytherin. Still; what she hated the most, was how he always seemed to be passive about the mean comments his best friend would make to Hermione, which was a great friend of the girl; by the way. So basically, she knew he was a toerag and as much as she loved Quidditch, she hated having to cheer for him.

“Stupid toerag” she muttered annoyed.

Aurora started to clean her room and organize a few things as she wanted to do the best to get her room in order before she finally leave for school. She was lucky that Louise, Gabriel’s mom, had taught them French before leaving for America with a new husband. The ginger girl re read the Beauxbatons letter and frowned.

“Dress robes? Why on earth do we need dress robes?” she muttered confused, Aurora put the letter down and walked out of her room.

“Dad” she called as she entered the kitchen.

“Yes, kiddo?” answered the man.

“I need dress robes” she said and he looked at her confused.

“What are dress robes?” he asked.

“A dress, for a ball. I think” answered Aurora.

“I was wondering if I can go to the second hand store to buy one” she asked and her dad smiled.

“Actually; I think that it won’t be necessary” he said getting up and Aurora frowned.

“Why?” she asked.

“Come here” called Francis walking back to his room.

Aurora followed the man to his bedroom, she sat on the bed and her dad started to go through his boxes. He opened a few of them until he got a box.

“Ah ha!” he said happily and handed the box to the girl.

Aurora looked at him confused and opened the box.

Aurora thought that she might have made a really funny face since her father started to laugh.

“Dad! It’s gorgeous,” she said amazed.

“I know,” answered the man.

“It was your mother’s” he said and Rory looked at him surprised.

“My mom?” repeated the girl amazed.

“Yes. It was one of the few things I was able to save from the fire. Actually; besides you it was the only thing I could save since you always loved to hide inside this box for some reason” her dad told her, Aurora laughed.

“Anyway; you seemed to like it so much that I decided to keep it,” he finished and Aurora hugged him.

“Good thing you did, it’s amazing;” she said and walked back to her room.

Aurora got into her bedroom and decided to try on the dress to make sure she didn’t needed to adjust it. The girl took the cloth out of the box and stared at it once more. It was a beautiful long, wine dress, with lace sleeves and open at the back. It was perfect. Not too bold and very elegant. Aurora putted the dress and looked at the mirror with a smile.

“Well done mom,” she muttered happily.

She opened the door and walked to the living room where her brother and her dad were watching tv.

“So… What do you think?” she asked and both of the men looked at her.

Gabriel smiled.

“Look at you, Rora. Looking almost like a girl” mocked him and the girl rolled her eyes.

“Dad? Anything a bit more useful to say?” she asked but the man didn’t respond.

Francis was staring at his daughter in awe. He saw her so frequently it was hard to notice the similarities between her and her mother. If it wasn't for Aurora's red hair, she would be a spitting image of her mother.

“You look just like your mother;” he muttered with a smiled.

Aurora grinned widely.

“Really?” she asked happily and he agreed.

“So I guess the dress robes issue is solved,” said the man and Rory agreed happily.

The girl walked back to her room and changed back. She folded the dress carefully and put it on her knew trunk; she looked at her new uniform and twitched her nose. It was weird to think she wouldn’t be wearing her usual black robes and she could only think about how cold she would be with this uniform if she was still at Hogwarts. Aurora let out another deep breath, she wasn’t looking forward to embarking that year. If only she knew someone at the school she would be less nervous, but since it was not the case the girl couldn’t help but feel nervous for being the new girl at the fourth year.


	2. Campsite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it's too long, I got a bit carried away haha. Hope you like it :)

Aurora woke up earlier than usual the next day. Cece had wrote to her that she would be arriving at four am so they could go back to London and use a portkey to get to the camps, the redheaded girl put a few clothes and an aid kit in a backpack and changed into a pair of black jeans a red t-shirt and boots. She putted her hair in a high ponytail and took her jacket before walking quietly to the living room.

Her father’s snores could be heard and she stifled a laugh, she had told him she would be going really early in the next day and would return on the day after. She sat on the couch and less than a few minutes passed before she heard a noise coming from her fireplace.

“Little Wyer, long time no see” greeted Cece and Aurora rolled her eyes at the nickname.

“Oh shut it, will you Cece” rumbled the girl annoyed.

“My height is perfectly normal” the ginger girl said getting up, her friend laughed quietly.

“For a first year, maybe” mocked the girl, Aria glared at the girl and walked up to the fireplace.

“Aren’t you hilarious, Celeste?” asked the girl sarcastically.

“I try” said Cece and gave the redheaded a small bag filled with floo powder.

Aurora took a bit of the powder and threw it on the fireplace; after the flames became green, she walked in and shouted the address her friend gave her. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she saw Cece’s dad sitting on the couch reading something. The girl walked out and smiled.

“Uncle Thomas! How lovely to see you! Looking good, is that a new shirt?” said the girl with a smirk and the man laughed.

“Hello Rora, it’s great to see you too. And yes; it’s a new shirt” the man told her with a smile.

Aurora opened her mouth to say something but a noise in the fireplace interrupted her.

“Alright. Everyone here? Great! Let’s go,” said Cece walking towards the door and the man laughed.

“Excuse you, I’m the adult here,” joked the man pulling his daughter back.

“It’s a habit. Sorry, dad” apologized her and the men glared at her playfully.

“Now, let’s go. I think we don’t want to leave the Diggory’s waiting,” said the man walking towards the door.

Aurora and Cece walked behind the men as they talked about who had more chances of winning, the man would make a comment or two but didn’t really talked that much.

“Who is travelling with us? Just the Diggory’s?” asked Aurora and Cece gave her a smirk.

“Oh, I will love that” Celeste said grinning even wider.

“Celeste Fawcett, what do you….” Started the girl but a voice interrupted her.

"The Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts…. Oh! Here they are! Thomas, how are you?" said Mr. Diggory.

“You got to be kidding,” muttered Aurora eyeing the famous family of red heads together with a very familiar face of a boy with round glasses.

"It’s great to see you Amos," said Thomas.

"Arthur. Great to see you, are they all yours?” asked Mr. Fawcett.

“Not all, just the redheads. There is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, friends with my son,” said Arthur and Aurora glared at her friend who laughed loudly.

“And these two lovely ladies, are they yours?” asked Mr. Weasley.

“Just the hyena. The redheaded is her friend,” said Thomas and Aria laughed openly.

“Don’t be mean Uncle Tommy…. Poor hyenas” teased Rory and they all laughed.

“Ha ha. Very funny, aren’t we late?” said Cece rolling her eyes.

Aria smirked at her friend and they approached the others.

"You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do -"

With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks, the twelve of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory.

They all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop. Nobody spoke.

"Three..." muttered Mr. Weasley, one eye still on his watch

It happened immediately Aurora felt as though a hook just behind her navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward. Her feet left the ground; she could feel Cece and Thomas on either side of her, their shoulders banging into hers; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; her forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling her magnetically onward and then -

Her feet slammed into the ground; Cece staggered into her and she fell over; the Portkey hit the ground.

“I hate this thing,” rumbled Aurora.

“Yeah, that makes two of us,” agreed Cece.

The girls got up still mumbling to themselves.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.

"Morning, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him.

"Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily.

"Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some.... We've been here all night.... You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite.... Weasley... Weasley.... " He consulted his parchment list.

"About a quarter of a mile's walk over there, first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory... Second field... ask for Mr. Payne. "

“And Fawcetts…” started the wizard.

“Please, let it be away from the Weasleys,” prayed Aurora and Cece laughed

“Also a quarter of a mile’s walk over there, first field. Mr. Roberts should work too” said the man and Aurora groaned lowly.

"Thanks, Basil," said Mr. Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him.

Auroras eye’s met Harry’s and they stared at each other for a while and the girl narrowed her eyes to him.

“Stupid toerag” she muttered annoyed.

“Don’t be like this, little Potter will be sad if he hears you,” mocked Cece and Aurora glared at her.

“Not sadder than me after I found out that we’re probably gonna be stuck around them for the entire afternoon,” rumbled Rory and Celeste laughed.

“You both will get married,” teased Cece and the redheaded laughed sarcastically.

“Rather date the giant squid, thank you very much” said Rora and Cece rolled her eyes sighing.

“And, we won’t be stuck with them. Not for a long time, at least, we’re just…. Neighbors,” said Celeste and Rora sent her a dirty look.

"Morning!" said Mr. Weasley brightly.

“Morning," said the Muggle.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?"

"Aye, I would," said Mr. Roberts.

"And who're you?"

"Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

"Aye," said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door.

"You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

"That's it," said Mr. Weasley.

"You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr. Roberts.

"Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr. Weasley.

“And what about you?” asked Mr. Roberts and Thomas walked closer to him.

“Fawcetts, one tend” he said and the man looked up on his list.

“Oh, good. You might just walk there together, apparently you both will be neighbors,” he said happily.

“Will you be paying now too?” he asked and Mr. Fawcetts agreed.

“So, this is the main reason why I brought you Aurora. I have no idea how to use this,” muttered Thomas and the red headed girl laughed slightly, she walked closer to him.

"You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts.

"Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled.

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely.

"I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley nervously.

Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change.

"Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again.

"Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up… "

“Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.

"Aye," he said thoughtfully.

"People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho. "

“Here you go,” said Mr. Fawcett giving him the money.

"It's like some sort of... I dunno... like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts.

"They all seem to know each other. Like a big party. "

At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door.

"Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts.

Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face.

"A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley.

"And your change."

"Thanks very much," said Mr. Weasley.

The wizard in plus fours accompanied them toward the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted: His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. Once out of earshot of Mr. Roberts, he muttered to Mr. Weasley,

"Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur, Thomas. "

He Disapparated.

“I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," said Ginny, looking surprised.

"He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

"He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite,

"But Ludo's always been a bit. . . well. . . lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

“An annoying ass, if you really want to know” said Cece and Arthur smiled.

“Well; some people think that,” agreed the man.

They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Aurora was anything but surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

"Always the same," said Mr. Weasley, smiling.

"We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us. "

They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY and next to it was a sign that read FAWCEET.

"Couldn't have a better spot!" said Mr. Weasley happily.

"The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be." Thomas said and hoisted his backpack from his shoulders.

"Right," agreed Arthur excitedly,

"No magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult.... Muggles do it all the time. ... Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

Aurora stood there eyeing the boy with a smirk. Harry glared at her annoyed and went to help Hermione to erect the tent.

“What about you? Are you going to help? Because we have no idea of what to do. By the way, what exactly do muggle do when they go camping?” asked Cece giving her the tent.

Aurora snorted and took the tents and started to pull it up without much trouble. Her family wasn’t rich so pretty much all of her holidays resumed to camping, since it was cheap. She and her brother had already camped in the most diverse situations; at snow, rain, windy and so on. Aurora noticed that the Weasleys were eyeing her surprised and Arthur walked up to her.

“Brilliant! Have you been camping for a long time?” he asked and the girl smiled.

“Yes. It’s something I always do with my dad and my brother,” answered Aurora finishing up.

“Fascinating! And what do you people when you go camping?” asked him again.

“Well; I suppose it change from family to family. My dad says it’s a great way to spend time as a family, we normally play a few games, share some stories and eat a lot of unhealthy food. It’s great,” answered Rory.

“And what…” started him but one of the twins interrupted him.

“Come on dad, stop bugging the girl;” said the boy.

“Right, I must leave you to it then. It was a pleasure, miss…” said the man pulling his hand out to the girl.

“Aurora Wyer, it’s a pleasure,” she said shaking his hand.

“Arthur Weasley, I assume you know my sons and my daughter?” he asked and Rory agreed.

“She’s a gryffindor dad, in the same year as Ron, Harry and Hermione,” said one of the twins.

“Is she really, what about you miss? I assume you’re Thomas daughter?” asked Arthur to Cece and the blonde girl nodded.

“Celeste Fawcett, pleasure to meet you sir,” introduced the girl.

“Pleasure. So, are you in the same year as my son?” asked him. Cece was about to open his mouth when Ron interrupted.

“She is dad, but she’s a slytherin,” he said with disgust and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“I see. Well; it was very nice meeting you,” Arthur said walking towards his tent.

“What’s the relevance of the house she’s in?” asked Aurora annoyed.

“My dad needs to know what type of people you are,” he said and Aurora snorted.

“I wonder if he knows what type of son he has, a prejudiced and rude git,” the redhead snapped back.

“Shut up, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Potter and Aurora raised an eyebrow.

“What? The truth can hurt sometimes, it doesn’t change the facts thought. His comments towards my friends are completely unnecessary, especially because she never said a word about him. But of course; if the comment is not related to blood status then it’s not prejudiced. Right?” she said and Harry glared at her.

“One thing has nothing to do with the other. She’s a slytherin and everyone knows how slytherins are, what they do. You can’t blame him for not being nice to her, besides she was never nice to any of us and we saw her with Malfoy, we saw both of you. It’s not a prejudice, it’s the truth. Slytherins are bad people,” he said and Aurora gave a humorless laugh.

“Of course you would side him; the golden boy Harry Potter. The courageous and with moral fiber member of gryffindor. Too bad he doesn’t have the guts to tell his friends off when they are being a git for no reason, but I suppose that to expect that would be to expect something impossible, especially when it comes to you. You’re just a petulant toerag,” Aurora said with a dirty look.

And that was enough for both of them start to argue very heatedly. Hermione sent an understanding look to Cece and pulled Harry towards his tent while Cece pulled Aurora towards their tent.

“That boy! That stupid git! Toerag! Uh! I hate him, god his attitude. Acting like he can do whatever he wants just because Dumbledore has a soft spot for him,” said Rora angered.

“And he can” agreed Cece.

“I know! Which is why I don’t trust Dumbledore. That unfair old man, acting like the Potter is one of the ten wonders of the world,” rambled Aurora and Cece was holding hard her laugh.

“He’s just too overrated. So what that he’s good at Quidditch? I mean, he’s not even that good. Cedric is way better than him and he’s nicer too. Not a toerag like Potter. He might have helped to solve a few things in the castle, but if it was you or Nico. Oh, then you would be expelled because the git-hero Harry Potter is the only one who can break all the rules and actually get praised for it. If the headmaster says no one can go to the corridor on the third floor and Harry Git went, oh well… Sixty points to gryffindor because I’m the headmaster and I can,” kept rambling Aurora and Cece was trying really hard to not laugh at her friend. Aurora took a deep breath

“Are you done?” asked Cece and Rory agreed.

“It’s just… He makes me so mad just by existing. With that attitude,” she said with an annoyed sight.

“Well; I think you both are in the same page when it comes to this. He doesn’t seem very fond of you either,” pointed Cece.

“Or… He just fancy’s you,” mocked Celeste with a smirk.

“He does not. And even if he does, I rather go out with Peeves than to spent any minute more than necessary with him,” said Aurora huffing and Cece rolled her eyes.

“Right, right. Whatever you say, now let’s go get some water before dad comes back, after that we need to find Nico and Fay,” said Cece changing the subject

“Where’s your dad?” asked Aurora.

“He went to see if anyone needs help, he and Arthur Weasley don’t get along really well. Dad says is because of his family,” said Cece and Rora nodded.

“This is ridiculous, but since he’s Ron Weasley father I can see that happening. It’s a shame though, he seemed really nice,” commented the redheaded.

“And he is; at least that is what dad says. It’s just that he has some bad experiences with his family so they never actually were friendly towards each other, but dad says he’s always polite which is more than what he’s used to,” said Cece shrugging and giving a kettle to Aurora.

"We'll need water...."

"According to the map, there's a tap on the other side of the field." Said Celeste looking carefully at the map.

“Ok. So we go get it, and then we can walk around to search for Fay and Nico. I think they might’ve come together since they live close," Aurora proposed and Celeste agreed

The girl walked out of the tent with a few kettles in hands, they set off across the campsite with the kettles. Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around.

Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children. A tiny boy no older than two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami. As they drew level with him, his mother came hurrying out of the tent.

"How many times, Kevin? You don't - touch - Daddy's - wand - yecchh!"

She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst. Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells "You bust slug! You bust slug!"

A short way farther on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks that rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass. A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Aurora and Cece as he muttered distractedly,

"In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -"

Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work. Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. Aurora sighed when she remembered that she wouldn’t be returning to Hogwarts.

“You alright?” asked Cece.

“Yeah, I’m just… Thinking. It’s going to be so weird to not go back to Hogwarts,” said Aurora.

“I know right? It’s going to be hard to deal with the gits of my house without you,” agreed Cece.

“But you’ll still have Nico and Fay,” pointed the redhead.

“Well; yes… Nico is a life savior, actually. I would be doomed without him, but don’t tell him I told you that,” said Cece and Rora laughed.

“As for Fay. I do hope she won’t get into much trouble for being friends with us. People seem to think she’s friends with us because of you, I hope they don’t bother her too much,” Cece told her and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“She’s a tough bean that one, she’ll be fine. Besides, you’re one of her best friends, both you and Nico,” assured the girl and the blonde smiled.

“Merlin’s beard. Is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" said Cece.

Aurora was already amazed by everything she saw since she was a muggle-born, but she didn’t thought she could be even more impressed. Wrong she was, again. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open.

“Merlin, this is worse than the slytherin common room,” muttered Cece.

“I want to see the Bulgarians, I bet they’ll be as red as your cheeks seeing Krumdelicious,” mocked Aurora. She heard her friend drop a kettle she was holding.

“I hate you sometimes,” muttered the blonde and Aurora laughed.

“Cece and Krum, sitting on a tree…” teased Rora and Cece slapped her on the head with her kettle.

“I’m not the one with a thing for seekers,” provoked Celeste with a smirk.

“And… Speaking of the devil,” continued Celeste eyeing three heads in front of them.

“Oh not again, please. Let’s just go,” moaned Rory pulling her friend pass the group.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione!"

"You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" they heard a woman said.

Aurora tried to hurry away from them but a voice caught her attention.

“Oi! Aurora, nice to see you,” Seamus said and the girl turned around slowly.

“Hey Seamus, great to see you. Excited for the match, I assume,” she said and the boy nodded happily.

“It’s gonna be great,” he agreed excited and Aurora laughed.

“Just try not to blow anything,” she teased and he laughed.

“He already did, twice,” said Dean and Aurora laughed loudly.

“I should’ve see it coming. We better be off, Uncle Tommy won’t be happy if there’s no water when he get back,” Aurora told them.

“Alright and… Oh! Fay was looking for you; she’s a few tents down there. She was with a boy, I don’t who he is though,” said Seamus and Aurora smiled.

“Thank you. Have fun boys,” she told them and started to walk back with her friend.

“How it’s possible that everyone is nice to you? I don’t get it,” said Cece incredulously and Rora laughed.

“It’s because I’m awesome. Besides my crazy good looks, my incredibly charming personality, my hilarious sense of humor and my amazing chaser skills there is also the fact that I’m super nice. It’s inevitable, everyone loves me,” said Aurora and Celeste rolled her eyes.

“You forgot to mention your incredibly short temper… And humbleness,” the blonde said and Aria laughed.

“My temper it’s not that bad. The only thing that makes me mad is… Potter,” she said annoyed.

“I bet he doesn’t agree with all of those traits you mentioned,” mocked Cece.

“Why are we talking about him again? Don’t we have better things to talk about, like for example… The fact that this place is _indeed_ almost as red as your cheeks when you see Krum. Bloody hell my eyes hurt,” said Aurora looking around and Cece was too in shock to try to argue with her friend.

They looked around until they saw a picture of Krum.

“Godric, those eyebrows, that nose…. Merlin, that face that looks like it’s annoyed one hundred percent of the time. Ah! And these…” mocked Aurora and Cece started to hit her repeatedly with her kettle.

“Shut the hell up! Merlin, you’re an annoying little brat,” whinnied Cece with very red cheeks and Aurora laughed hard.

“Godric, if any of these people see your face they’ll probably think your supporting Bulgaria” said Aurora between laughs.

“Let’s go,” groaned the girl pulling Aurora by the arm.

There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Aurora and Cece joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.

"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious -"

"I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly.

"Muggles wear them."

"Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers.

"I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation.

"I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."

Aurora was about to burst out in a fit of giggles, she turned her back at them and found three familiar faces staring at her. Rory’s eyes met Hermione’s and both of them burst out in a loud laugh.

“Godric, this was awesome,” said Aurora drying her eyes still giggling.

“Right. How are you, by the way?” asked Hermione and the redheaded girl smiled.

“I’m doing great. What about you?” Aurora asked the bush haired girl.

“I’m fine too. I’ve heard that you moved, is that true?” asked Hermione and Aurora agreed.

“In living in France now, my dad got rescheduled to work there,” explained the girl.

“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s our turn and we need to get the water. Great to see you Granger, hope you had a good summer,” said Cece with a smile.

“Oh, right. Hello Celeste, it was ok. Thank you for asking. You should go get the water, we can talk later at the game,” said Hermione with a smile and Aurora agreed.

“Great to see you, Hermione,” said Aurora and turned back to Celeste.

Cece and Aurora filled the kettles and left. Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, people would stop to greet Aurora from all of the houses, sometime even with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Gryffindor’s House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, went to talk to her and told her it was a shame she didn’t tried for the team when he was still at school because she was a really good chaser and that she should give it a try now.

“Merlin. You’re almost as popular as Potter,” commented Cece and Aria rolled her eyes.

“I’m not popular,” argued the girl.

“You do recognize that people from all of the houses stopped to greet you. Even slytherins,” said Celeste.

“It’s just because I’m nice to everyone, so they know me,” explained the girl and the blond girl shook her head.

“You’re a weird bean my dear friend,” commented Cece and Rory rolled her eyes.

They finally reached their tent and as soon as they placed their kettles down they went off again.

“Let’s find Fay and Nico,” said Cece walking towards the place where they had met Seamus a few minutes ago.

Aurora and Celeste wandered around looking for her friends and soon found the tent with the name DUNBAR in front of it. Aurora was about to walk up to it when Fay walked out.

“Ari! Cece! Finally, I’ve been looking for you for ages!” said the girl quickly hugging both of the girls.

“Great to see you too, Fayfay,” said Rory with a smirk and the girl glared at her.

“Drop the nickname, will you Aurora. Only mom calls me that,” she said and Aurora laughed.

“Nico is down there, we came together and went to look for you but we couldn’t find you. He came with his parents so I think it might not be a good idea for you to go there,” said Fay to the redhead with a sad smile.

“It’s alright. Cece should go, I bet he’s going crazy alone with them,” Aurora told them and the blonde agreed.

“I was about to say the same thing. Meet you guys later?” Celeste asked and Aurora agreed.

“Alright then. See you little lions,” said the girl waving at them and walking towards their other best friend’s tent.

“Come on, mom is making lunch maybe you can eat with us,” said Fay pulling her best friend towards her tent.

Aurora walked in with her friend and soon enough she spotted a woman walking fervently on what the girl assumed it was the kitchen.

“Mom, I found Rory,” she said and the woman turned to face her.

“Oh! It’s wonderful to see you dear, Fay was looking for you. My husband was looking forward to meet Fayfay’s best friend but he went to help the others to prevent the muggles from seeing anything they shouldn’t. He will be at the game, though. Now come, lunch is almost ready,” said the woman hurrying the girls towards the table.

Aurora ate and talked with them for a long time, a few hours after the lunch Freya, Fay’s mother, went to look for her husband to see if he had ate something and the girls went out for a walk.

“You don’t believe, the Weasleys are in a tent on our side,” said Aurora and Fay laughed.

“By the Weasleys you mean… Harry Potter,” she asked with a grin and the redheaded nodded annoyed.

“He fancies you,” mocked Fay and Aurora sent her a dirty look.

“He. Does. Not. Fancies. Me. You and Celeste have to stop saying that, the only thing he seems to fancy is my voice since he never misses an opportunity to hear me yelling at him,” rumbled the redhead.

“That’s because he never heard you sing,” teased Fay and Aurora slapped her on the arm.

“The point is, he doesn’t fancies me and I want to be as far away from him as possible. And as I was saying I’ve also met Mr. Weasley and he’s actually really nice, but Ron had to bring up the fact that Cece was a slytherin and then I defended her and then Potter defended him and then….” Started Aurora but Fay interrupted her.

“You argued, ok I get it and then….” Say the brunette and Rory eyed her.

“We don’t argue that much,” responded the girl slightly annoyed and Fay laughed ironically.

“Yeah, right,” the brown haired girl said and Aurora rolled her eyes.

The girl continued telling her best friend the story about Archie and his love for having air in his parts, as soon as the girl finished her best friend started to laugh really hard and caught the eyes of a few foreigners who looked at the girl as if she was crazy.

“Do you know that we’re having an event this year at school?” asked Fay drying her eyes and Aurora glared at her.

“I’m so sorry! I totally forgot you’re bound to became a lady now, thought I don’t think it will happen but… Seriously, I’m sorry,” apologized Fay and Aria smiled.

“It’s alright. Of course nice things had to happen when I moved, I’m a bad luck charm,” joked the girl and Fay laughed slightly.

“Anyways; dad told me something really nice is going to happen this year. He didn’t told me what, but said I was going to love it,” explained the girl.

The girl’s walked back to the tent and a sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretense disappeared: the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere.

Sales men were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes - green for Ireland and red for Bulgaria - which were squealing the names of the players. Pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared, flags from both countries that played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves.

"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Fay told Aurora as they strolled through the sales men, buying souvenirs. The redheaded girl had save a few galleons from the year before and her father had given her a few more, it wasn’t much but she should be able to buy her brother and father something nice.

"Wow, look at these!" said Aurora, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered with all sorts of weird knobs and dials. She was about to take one to see it when a hand bumped into hers.

“I’m sorry, I…” she started but looked up to see a familiar pair of green eyes staring at her.

“You,” said Aurora annoyed.

“Girl, you need to stop running…Oh,” she heard Fay said.

“Hello, Fay. Had a good summer?” asked Potter and the other agreed.

“It was ok. What are you both seeing here?” she asked trying to ease the tension.

"Omnioculars," said the sales wizard eagerly.

"You can replay action... Slow everything down... And they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain - ten Galleons each. "

“They’re great. My mom bought me one,” said Fay.

“My brother and my dad would love this,” commented Aurora.

“I bet they would, by the way… Happy birthday,” said Fay putting a green hat in her friends head. Aurora saw her vision blackout; she took the hat from her eyes and send her friend a smile, Fay however, busted into a loud laugh.

“You look like a child, I can’t,” said Fay laughing and Rory slapped her playfully.

“Rude. But thank you, I loved,” said the redheaded still smiling.

“I was going to buy a scarf but I guess not…” muttered the girl counting her galleons.

“I want two, please,” she said to the man and handed him the money.

“But what about you? You’re going to give your brother and your father, you’re not going to buy you anything?” asked Fay and Aurora denied.

“I will see it in person, the least I can do is get them something. Gabriel begged me to show him how we actually play Quidditch,” said the redheaded with a small laugh.

Aurora heard Ron and Hermione come closer to them.

"Wish I hadn't bought this now… Oh, hello Fay. Great to see you," said Ron and the brunette smiled and waved.

"Three pairs," said Harry firmly to the wizard.

"No - don't bother," she heard Ron say, going red.

"You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands.

"For about ten years, mind."

Aurora eyed the boy curiously and after the man gave her the Omnioculars, she turned to Fay.

“Gabriel is going to love it,” she said with a smile.

“You deserve the prize of big sister of the year,” mocked Fay and the girl rolled her eyes.

"But you didn’t bought your scarf, too bad I couldn’t find it. I was going to buy you one,” regretted Fay and Aurora shook her head.

“Don’t worry. It’s fine, I loved the hat,” assured the girl and her friend smiled.

They walked back to the tent and Mrs. Dunbar was wearing a hat similar to Auroras’. They were talking happily when the tent was open again.

“Well, well. The only time I got to see both of you wearing so much green,” Nico teased and Aurora rolled her eyes giving her best friend a hug.

“Happy birthday, this one is from me and Cece and this one is from all of us,” said the boy giving her two packages. Aurora looked at them with a smile and hugged both of them tightly.

“Thank you… Why are you not in the group hug Fayfay, come here,” said Aurora and the girl joined them while laughing.

Aurora opened the first package and let out a loud expression of surprise.

“A broom! A firebolt! Oh my merlin, I loved!” she said happily and they laughed.

“So now you no longer have excuses to not play at school. Potter won’t be at the team and you have a broom,” said Nico and she hugged both of them.

“Thank you so much,” she said and Cece shoved the other package at her hand.

“This is from all of us, we hate to see you leave and we still hope you move back next year. So… We wanted you to never forget that we appreciate everything you did for us,” said Cece and the redheaded smiled.

Aurora opened the package and saw that it had a book and a camera; she took the book and opened. It was full of pictures of them doing the most random things with little messages written under every photo.

“How, in the name of Merlin, did you get these photos?” asked the girl amazed.

“Colin. Since you told us last year you were moving, we asked him to take a few pictures of us so we could do the album. It was all thanks to Fay, actually. It was her idea,” said Nico sending the brunette a smile.

“He recommended that camera and he wrote the instructions on how to reveal it into a moving photo,” said Fay and the girl hugged them all again.

“You’re not supposed to make me cry today. Today is a happy day and I don’t feel like crying on a happy day,” said the girl blinking away a few tears.

“Ok, let’s put another photo here. Come on. Mom, can you take one for us?” asked Fay handing the camera to her mother and the woman smiled.

“Everybody says: Harry Potter fancies Aurora Wyer,” mocked the woman taking the picture and they all laughed… Well; almost all of them.

“He. Does. Not. Even you Auntie Freya? I thought you were different,” said the redheaded girl and the woman laughed.

“I’m sorry dear, you’re just cute together. I couldn’t help it and we also have something for you…,” she said walking away and Fay went after her.

“You guys, this is too much. Really, you shouldn’t have spent all this money with me,” said the girl.

“Oh shut up Aurora. The money is ours and we spent it the way we feel like,” said Nico with a smile.

“Rude,” she said with a huff but a small smile was in her lips.

“Now you can write to us!” said Fay giving her a cage with a beautiful black owl on it.

“She’s gorgeous! Thank you Fay, and thank you Aunt Freya,” said Aurora hugging both of them.

“Now, now. Why don’t they help you take it back to your tent and if your dad is up to it, Celeste, you can come here and we can go to the stadium together,” proposed Freya and they agreed.

“Thank you again, Aunt Freya,” said the girl and they all left.

They all walked talking animatedly to the girls’ tent and Aurora turned to Fay.

“What’s her name?” she asked pointing to the owl.

“She doesn’t have one, which one do you think fit her?” asked the girl.

She made a thoughtful face and soon let out an animated scream.

“I know! Since we are two gryffindors and two slytherins and she’s now officially the mascot of the group, her name will be Slyffindor but we’ll use Sly for short,” said the girl with a triumphant smile and they all laughed.

“Oh my merlin that’s the weirdest pet name I ever heard, suit it well though. If you think that she’s the only owl of the group and that she’s Auroras’ pet,” teased Nico and Aurora mimicked him.

“I told you she’s terrible choosing names, when she went with me to get a cat she offered Hocuspocus as a name, and Mieczlaw; Yakima…. I’ll stop here because it only gets worse,” said Fay and they all laughed.

“You guys have no creativity, ok? My names are good…. And originals. I bet you won’t met another owl named Slyffindor,” defended the girl and they all shook their heads.

“I feel sorry for your kids,” said Cece.

“Maybe Potter have a better taste for names,” mocked Fay with a smirk.

“Oh stop,” groaned the girl annoyed and they laughed again.

“You definably shouldn’t talk with my mom about it. You see, my name is bad enough as it is, I mean who names their kid Nicodemilous,” started the boy and they laughed.

“But my sibling, oh. Poor them, she named my baby brothers Squire and my Square. I mean… This is just a crime,” said the boy with a laugh and all of them busted out in loud laughs.

“We’re here,” said Cece drying her eyes and between giggles.

“Finally, I was thinking about going alone,” joked Thomas as the group entered the tent.

“How is it going, Mr. Fawcett,” said Nico and the man smiled.

“Great to see you Nico,” greeted the man.

“Hello, Mr. Fawcett. My mom offered for you to meet us in our tent so we can walk together to the stadium,” said Fay and he smiled.

“Hello Fay and yes. That would be nice, actually; I’ve met your dad today and he offered me the same thing. We should get going them,” said the man and they all helped to put Auroras’ presented carefully on the side of her bed.

They walked back to Fays’ tent still talking and laughing. They met Mr. Dunbar and Freya in front of the tent and walked towards the woods and then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.

"It's time!" said Mr. Dunbar, looking as excited as any of them.

"Come on, let's go!"


	3. Bulgaria X Ireland

Aurora was still laughing and talking happily with her friends as they walked following the lantern-lit trail. She could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Aurora couldn't stop grinning. They walked through the wood for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium.

"Seats a hundred thousand," she heard Mr. Dunbar say

"Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again... Bless them," he added fondly, leading the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.

"Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch.

"Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go…. Oh, Thomas, Daniel, great to see you both! Where’s your tickets?" the witch asked and they handed their tickets.

“Top box as well, up you go,” she said and they thanked her before walking towards the stairs.

The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right.

“My seat is on the other side, I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Nico with a sad smile.

“You can’t go with us?” Fay asked and he denied.

“I have a free seat with my parent thought, any volunteers?” he asked with a hopeful smile.

“I can go,” said Cece with an unsure smile.

“I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve been hearing my mom’s insults the entire afternoon,” he said with a sad smile.

“I can go,” said Fay and the expression on Nico’s face lit up.

“Really? I mean, if that’s ok with you Mr. and Ms. Dunbar,” he said and Freya smiled.

“It’s alright, isn’t dear?” she said and her husband agreed.

“It is. You just remember your dad that she’s the daughter of Daniel Dunbar, from de mystery department,” said Fays’ dad and Nico smiled.

“Thank you, sir. I will walk her back to your tent after the game,” he said and Fay walked closer to him, Aurora eyed her friend with a malicious gaze.

They started to climb the stairs in the opposite direction of Fay and Nico. They walked towards the steps with Mr. Weasley's party climbing in front of them, and at last, they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty-five purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Aurora sat at the front row with Cece while Thomas and the Dunbar’s were at the second row. She looked down upon a scene the likes of which he could never have imagined.

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Aurora's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, she saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.

_The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family - safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burgler Buzzer..._

_Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain!..._

_Gladrags Wizard wear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade..._

Aurora tore her eyes away from the sign and looked over her shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. She stared at the family of redheads next to them and gave a long sigh.

“I told you we were going to be neighbors,” muttered Cece at her ear and Aurora glared at her.

“Celeste! Aurora! How nice that you’re here!” said Hermione and Rory smiled.

“Yes. It’s a great spot indeed. I think we can see it all from here. It’s awesome.” Agreed Aurora.

The red haired girl looked around one more time and so far, it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them and from the Weasleys. The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands.

"Dobby?" said Harry incredulously.

The tiny creature looked up and stretched its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?" squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Aurora and Celeste turned around together with Ron and Hermione.

"Sorry," Harry told the elf

"I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" squeaked the elf. She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit.

"My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -" Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar.

"You is surely Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, I am," said Harry.

"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" she said, lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck.

"How is he?" said Harry.

"How's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah, sir," said Winky, shaking her head,

"Ah sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."

"Why?" said Harry, taken aback.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," said Winky sadly.

"Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir. "

"Why not?" said Harry.

Winky lowered her voice by a half-octave and whispered,

"He is wanting paying for his work, sir."

"Paying?" said Harry blankly.

"Well - why shouldn't he be paid?"

Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again.

"House-elves is not paid, sir!" she said in a muffled squeak.

"No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin. "

"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," said Harry.

"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," said Winky firmly, from behind her hands.

"House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter" - she glanced toward the edge of the box and gulped

"But my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir."

"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" said Harry, frowning.

"Master - master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter. He is very busy," said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her.

"Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf. "

Aurora frowned and turned to the front again.

“What’s a house elf?” asked her confused.

“They are creatures that works for a family or a master. My grandmother has one; it does all the cooking and cleaning around the house. Basically it does everything his master ask them,” explained Cece.

“And they’re not paid?” asked the redhead again and Cece agreed.

“So they’re slaves,” affirmed the girl.

“Well; yes… No… I don’t know,” said the blonde girl turning back to the front.

Aurora had forgotten her Omniocular back at her tent so she wasn’t really seeing much. 

"Wild!" she heard Ron said, twiddling the replay knob on the side.

“I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again... And again... And again... “The redhead said and Aurora groaned annoyed.

“What’s the matter? I thought you had bought one of these,” Cece asked and Aurora faced her.

“I bought two, and I forgot both of them at the tent,” she answered frustrates and Cece shook her head.

“Why am I not surprised,” said the blonde looking at the front again.

“You can share it with me,” Cece told her and Aurora gave her a small smile.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’m going to the restroom before the match,” warned Celeste getting up.

Aurora sat there thinking about how much she was going to miss having these people around her and gave a sad sigh. She felt someone tapping her shoulder and looked up to a well know pair of green eyes.

“Yes?” asked Aurora and the boy chuckled.

“How can you be so rude at me and so nice at everyone else,” the muttered and the girl rolled her eyes.

“What do you need, Potter?” she asked trying to be polite.

The boy took a green scarf from his pocket and an Omniocular and handed to the girl.

“Happy birthday,” he muttered with his cheeks slightly red.

Aurora stared at him confused and a bit shocked.

“How… Why?” she asked and the boy shoved the things in her lap delicately.

Cece walked back and stared at both of them with a malicious smile, she saw Hermione walking close to her also hiding a smile.

“I can’t…” started Aurora trying to give the presents back at the boy.

“Just shut up and take it, Aurora. So you can actually show your brother what a Quidditch match looks like,” he said and she felt her cheeks burn.

“I could have shown him without it too,” she mumbled stubbornly and he laughed.

“Oh, really. Where is your Omniocular, then? I can’t see it,” he said and Aurora felt her entire face burn.

“Thank you, Potter. And it’s Wyer for you,” she said pulling the scarf around her neck. The boy smiled and turned back to his friends.

“He fancies her,” Cece muttered to Hermione and the bushy haired girl laughed quietly.

“He just doesn’t know that yet,” Hermione said back, they watched as she took the presents and thanked the boy. Hermione was watching her best friend closely.

“Oh my god. He definably fancies her,” she said to Cece and walked back to her seat.

Cece sat down next to her friend and gave her a smirk.

“Nice scarf,” she mocked and Aurora glared.

“Shut up,” Aurora said and the blonde laughed.

“He totally fancies you,” Cece told her and Aurora groaned annoyed.

“Will you stop! I told you he doesn’t! He probably just felt sorry for me since he saw me buying two Omniocular instead of three and heard me say that my brother and my dad would want one, plus, Fay said that I wanted a scarf. It was nothing, now stop,” said the girl quietly and her friend rolled her eyes.

“I give up on you Aurora, you’re a lost cause,” she said and the redhead rolled her eyes.

Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvet covered, tasseled program.

"'A display from the team mascots will precede the match,"' she read aloud.

"Oh that's always worth watching," said Mr. Weasley.

"National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog and Aurora and Celeste couldn’t stop giggling at it. When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. It looked like they had met before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him.

"Harry Potter, you know," he told the Bulgarian minister loudly, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English.

"Harry Potter... Oh come on now, you know who he is... The boy who survived You-Know-Who... You do know who he is -"

The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it. Aurora rolled her eyes annoyed and turned back to the front.

"Knew we'd get there in the end," said Fudge wearily to Harry.

"I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat.... Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places... ah, and here's Lucius!"

Aurora, Celeste, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and a woman that Rory supposed must be Draco's mother.

Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since forever. As amazing as it sounds, Draco was actually really nice do the redhead, she thought it was because he was friends with Celeste. Either way, she didn’t really had anything against the boy. Now, his father on the other hand was the worst person Aurora ever met in her entire life.

"Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic.

"How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy.

"And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Aurora could notice them throwing deathly gazes at each other. Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row.

"Good lord, Arthur," he said softly.

"What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest. "

"How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile.

Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him.

“Do you think football fields are like this too?” Aurora asked aloud, everyone looked at her.

“What?” asked Mr. Weasley.

“A football field. You know, that game that muggles play with their feet,” she said and Lucius turned to look at her.

“And who are you?” asked the man raising his eyebrow.

“Now, now. That’s a really rude way of greeting people,” she said and went forward grabbing the man’s hand and shaking forcefully.

“That’s how you do it. Pleasure to meet you, Aurora Wyer,” the redhead said. Lucius tried to pull his hand but Auroras’ grip was pretty damn strong for someone her size. She pulled the man’s hand and he lowered until he was on the same eye level than her.

“A mudblood,” she said with a smirk and staring at the man daringly.

Lucius was about to pull his hand once again and when he did, she let go of him and he fell over a few seats. The redhead teenagers laughed loudly.

“My apologies sir, it slipped,” she said smirking at him.

Under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything. He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley, glared at the girl and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, but send Cece and Aurora a small smile before settling himself between his mother and father.

“You’re mental! You know who that is?” asked Cece and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“I know, and I don’t care,” she said and her friend laughed amazed.

“That’s exactly why I’m the one who always does the talking,” mocked Cece and Aurora laughed.

Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.

"Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam.

"Minister - ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce... The Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

"I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat.

"Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes.

"Veela!"

Aurora stared at the girls amazed and confused. Were they humans or not? Why were all the boys acting so weird. The redhead heard her friend laugh and turned to her, Celeste pointed to Harry.

"Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione.

He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard. Aurora rolled her eyes and turned to face the front.

Angry yells were filling the stadium as the crowd didn't want the veela to go.

"You'll be wanting that," Mr. Weasley said,

"Once Ireland have had their say."

"Huh?" said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field.

Hermione made a loud tutting noise and reached up to pull Harry back into his seat.

"Honestly!" Aurora muttered annoyed.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice,

"Kindly put your wands in the air... For the Irish National Team Mascots!"

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it -

“What?” exclaimed Aurora amazed and Celeste laughed.

“Don’t be so happy, it goes away after a while,” said Cece and Aurora laughed.

"Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.

The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you - Dimitrov!"

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

"Ivanova!"

A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.

"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand - Krum!"

"That's him, that's him!" yelled Cece and Aurora laughed loudly, she was about to mock her friend again but she looked so happy that Rory gave up.

She decided to follow Krum with her Omnioculars. Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen.

"And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman.

"Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaaand - Lynch!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the field.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache and wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Aurora took her new Omnioculars and put in on normal speed, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open - four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and the minuscule winged, Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman.

"And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

It was Quidditch as Aurora had never seen it played before. She was pressing her Omnioculars so hard to her face that they were probably going to leave marks. The speed of the players was incredible - the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names and as a chaser herself, Aurora couldn’t be more impressed.

"TROY SCORES!" roared Bagman, and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers.

"Ten zero to Ireland!"

“Yes!” yelled Aurora.

"What?" Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars.

"But Levski's got the Quaffle!"

“Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air while Troy did a lap of honor around the field.

Aurora knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish Chasers were superb. They worked as a seamless team, their movements so well coordinated that they appeared to be reading one another's minds as they positioned themselves and within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters.

“They’re bizarrely synchronized,” commented Aurora.

“Right? The way they pass the quaffle they made it looks like they’re reading each others mind,” agreed Harry.

“I know! It’s so amazing, this is so hard and they do it so perfectly,” said Aurora.

The match became faster and more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria's first goal.

"Fingers in your ears!" bellowed Mr. Weasley as the veela started to dance in celebration.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman.

Aurora leaned forward to see better. One hundred thousand wizards gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airplanes without parachutes. Aurora followed their descent through her Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was -

"They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry.

She was half right - at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"Fool!" moaned Mr. Weasley.

"Krum was feinting!"

"It's time-out!" yelled Bagman's voice,

"As trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!"

"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" someone said.

"Which is what Krum was after, of course...."

Aurora hastily pressed the replay and play-by-play buttons on her Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to her eyes.

She watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT - DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION read the shining purple lettering across her lenses. She saw Krum's face contorted with concentration as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and she understood - Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him. Aurora hated to admit, but it was bloody brilliant. A bit dirty, but still brilliant. Besides that, she had to recognized; Krum was one of the best seekers in the world for a reason. Aurora had never seen anyone fly like that; Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that he looked unsupported and weightless.

She turned her Omnioculars back to normal and focused them on Krum. He was now circling high above Lynch, who was being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Rory, focused still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over the ground a hundred feet below. He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference.

“Merlin, he’s good,” said Aurora.

“He is, using that time to actually search for the snitch,” agreed Harry.

“It’s brilliant, but a bit dirty,” said the girl.

Cece and Hermione were exchanging smiles every now and then while pointing at their two best friends who were too focused on the game to notice them. Who would thought that Harry Potter and Aurora Wyer would be watching a Quidditch match side by side while having an actual conversation? This was definably something amazing.

“He’s a great flyer,” said Aurora.

“He is and he makes it looks like he’s not even using a broom. He seems so…” started Harry.

“Weightless. I know. It’s incredible,” completed the girl.

Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt, and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivaled by anything Aurora had seen so far.

After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier.

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly Aurora didn't catch it, but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told her it had been a foul.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbling - excessive use of elbows!" Bagman informed the roaring spectators.

"And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA, HA, HA!"

The veela on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.

As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers into their ears, Aurora started to laugh loudly.

"Look at the referee!" she heard Hermione said, giggling.

Down at the field. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly.

"Now, we can't have that!" said Ludo Bagman, though he sounded highly amused.

"Somebody slap the referee!"

A mediwizard came tearing across the field, his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the shins. Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Aurora, watching through the Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed and had started shouting at the veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.

"And unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" said Bagman's voice.

"Now there's something we haven't seen before... Oh this could turn nasty...

And it did: The Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, landed on either side of Mostafa and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating toward the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words "HEE, HEE, HEE." Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger into the air, clearly telling them to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle.

"Two penalties for Ireland!" shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger.

"And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms... Yes... There they go... And Troy takes the Quaffle... "

Play now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom.

"Foul!" Aurora roared with the others Irish supporters as one.

"Foul!" echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice.

"Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there - and it's got to be another penalty - yes, there's the whistle!"

The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field. Rora was laughing again and laughed even harder as the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. The girl saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders -

"And that, boys," yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below,

"Is why you should never go for looks alone!"

Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one taking place above. Rory turned this way and that, staring through her Omnioculars, as the Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet.

"Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"

But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov -

The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible toward Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him full in the face.

“Hey!” Aurora yelled mad.

“Time-out. Time-out.” yelled Harry.

There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Aurora couldn't blame him; one of the veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom tail alight.

Aurora wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured; even though she was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the field. Ron obviously felt the same.

"Time-out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -"

"Look at Lynch!" Harry yelled.

For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing...

"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry shouted.

“He has?” yelled Aurora excited.

"Yes! Look at him go!"

Half the crowd seemed to have realized what was happening; the Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on... But Krum was on his tail. How or if he could see where he was going, Aurora had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again -

"They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.

"They're not!" roared Ron.

"Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

And he was right - for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry veela.

"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" bellowed Aurora, along the row.

"He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.

“What?!” yelled Aurora.

Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.

“That was hot!” Yelled Cece and Aurora laughed openly.

The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.

"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS - good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head.

"He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly.

"The Irish Chasers were too good...” started Harry.

“He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all....”

“This was amazing! Godric, he’s unbelievable,” said Aurora excited.

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of mediwizards blasted a path through the battling leprechauns and veela to get to him.

"He looks a terrible mess...,” commented Cece.

“A hot mess?” mocked Rory with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. The blonde slapped her friend lightly, her cheeks really red.

Aurora put her Omnioculars to her eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, but she could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up. His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots. Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind them. She looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.

"You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged.

"And you've been letting me mime everything all day!"

"Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging and Aurora laughed.

"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.

A blinding white light suddenly dazzled Aurora’s eyes, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, she saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers - Bulgaria!" Bagman shouted.

And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Aurora could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.

One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch and Aurora noticed that he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.

And then came the Irish team. Moran and Connolly were supporting Aidan Lynch; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused, but he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. Aurora’s hands were numb with clapping.

At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honor on their brooms, Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered, "Quietus."

"They'll be talking about this one for years," he said hoarsely, "a really unexpected twist, that.... Shame it couldn't have lasted longer.... Ah yes... Yes, I owe you.... How much?"


	4. The Dark Mark

Aurora was still very red from all the excitement from the game.

“Merlin, you need to calm down,” said Cece laughing but Aurora was still jumping up and down.

“Did you see that feint? It was amazing, oh… And the chasers from Ireland? They were incredible,” rambled the girl and Ms. Dunbar laughed.

“I think someone is not sleeping any soon today,” commented Thomas and Aurora laughed.

They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Thomas agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in. They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Thomas and Aurora were drawn into a disagreement about cobbling, and Cece decided to go to bed and leave both of them to talk.

Aurora and Mr. Fawcetts were so focused on the conversation that they barely noticed the Irish celebrating; they were nicely discussing some of Krum's more spectacular moves. The Wronski Feint; him diving to get the snitch and the Ireland amazing chasers. She didn’t knew how long they’ve been sitting there but out of sudden she heard people screaming.

“What’s going on?” said Thomas walking outside the tent and coming back three shades paler.

“Wake Cece, we need to leave,” he said and Aurora ran to get her friend.

“Cece, get up! Now!” she yelled and the blond woke up scared.

“What’s going on?” she said scared.

“Get a jacket and your wand we’re leaving,” Aurora told her while getting a jacket and holding her wand strongly in one hand.

Aurora ran outside with Celeste at her heels.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, she could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

“Girls,” called Thomas, but Aurora stood there amazed.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. Aurora squinted at them.... They didn't seem to have faces.... Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked. High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small.

Aurora putted her hands at her mouth in shock. More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Aurora saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder.

The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Aurora recognized one of them: Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager. The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children. One of the marchers below flipped Mrs. Roberts upside down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee.

“Aurora!” she heard Mr. Fawcetts yell and someone pull her to the tent next to theirs.

"That's sick," Ron muttered.

"This is so wrong," said Rory.

Hermione and Ginny came hurrying toward them, pulling coats over their nightdresses, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. At the same moment, Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed, with their sleeves rolled up and their wands out.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves.

"You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. Aurora, Celeste. You go with them, we'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!” said Arthur

“Dad!” yelled Cece and the man looked at her.

“Please, be careful,” she asked and he smiled.

“I always am,” he said.

Aurora looked at the other tents on their way and noticed that there’re still people inside it and the hooded figures were setting fire in every tent they passed through. She felt someone pull a hand on her shoulder and turned around quickly.

“Are you alright?” asked Fay with a concerned expression. She and Nico had appeared with Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar.

“Children, go to the woods. Now!” yelled Thomas.

Aurora looked at the tents catching fire and griped her wand tighter.

“Go to the other side,” Aurora said to Nico and Cece.

“Are you mad? We’re not gonna let you go there alone,” argued Nico.

“We’re going with you,” said Cece.

“You can’t. They’ll kill both of you, and what if your parents see you helping me, Nico?” she said and they groaned.

“She’s not going alone,” said Fay taking her wand.

“Are you sure?” asked Aurora.

“You’re not having all the fun, Rory,” said the brunnete with a smile.

“You both, go to the other side as fast as you can and wait for us. We’re gonna need help to guide all these people,” said Aurora and they agreed.

Three of the Weasley’s were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers; Mr. Weasley and Mr. Fawcett tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction toward the source of the trouble. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.

"C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her toward the wood.

“Aurora,” she heard Hermione scream but she had already started to run towards the tents with Fay behind her.

“Fay! Go back to the woods,” she heard Freya said.

“Uncle Tommy, we’re gonna evacuate the rest of the tents,” she yelled at the man and started to go through the tents.

“For Merlin’s sake Aurora, be careful,” he yelled back.

She saw that the crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger than ever; she could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the center, but they were having great difficulty. It looked as though they were scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall.

She opened the first tent and saw a woman with four kids.

“Come on, we need to leave,” she said and the woman got up.

She saw that Fay was taking the tents on the right side and she was taking the left. Aurora hurried towards the next tent and then the next, until she heard a cry. There was a tent already catching fire and it seemed that there was a kid inside it. The redhead turned to her friend who had just walked out of a tent.

“Keep going, I’m going to get the kid,” she yelled and Fay agreed.

Aurora hurried towards the tent and entered it with difficulty. She saw a boy no older than six crying on the top of a bunk bed, she hurried towards him coughing hard. The little boy stopped crying when he saw her.

“Come on, I’m gonna get you out of here,” she said and the boy pulled his little arms for the girl to take him.

She hurried out of the tent and found Fay a few tents ahead. She ran with the boy still on her arms and went back to taking the muggles out of their tents. The crowd was still marching forward and the Ministry Wizards looked like they were still having problems on stopping them, the good thing is that it looked like there were no more muggles upside down then already did when she first started recuing the tents.

Aurora kept running and guiding people towards the woods and she soon found Cece and Nico standing at the edge of it. She waved and they waved back.

“Fay! They’re there. Go ahead and guide them, I’ll stay at the back,” said Aurora and her friend agreed.

Fay ran to the front and started to guide people towards the woods with Cece and Nico showing the way, Aurora walked on the back keeping an eye for any disturbance or possible attack. As they walked further in the woods she heard the riot going quiet. She was hurrying behind the group of people when she heard a noise that made her stop, the redhead noticed that they finally had reached the clearing. She felt the little boy clung into her tightly and concentrate on the noise there were uneven steps really close to her, she grip her wand tightly and turned around.

There was silence. Aurora followed discreetly towards the direction of the noise and motioned for the little boy to stay quiet. It was too dark to see very far, but she could sense somebody was standing close to her, perhaps too close.

Then, she spotted a man standing not far from her. She looked at him carefully and noticed he had straw-blonde hair and a very pale skin; he seemed young but didn’t looked healthy. Without warning, the silence was rent by a voice unlike any she had heard before; and it uttered, not a panicked shout, but what sounded like a spell.

"MORSMORDRE!"

And something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of his wand and flied towards the sky. Aurora realized that it had formed a colossal skull at the night sky, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As she watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation.

Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams. Aurora woke from her thoughts and but didn't understand why they sounded so desperate, the only possible cause was the sudden appearance of the skull, which had now risen high enough to illuminate the entire wood like some grisly neon sign. She looked back at the man, but he wasn’t there anymore.

She went back to the crowd and saw that they all looked really pale, she searched for her friends with her eyes but couldn’t find them anywhere.

“Young lady, thank you. Thank you,” said a woman coming closer to her, she smiled.

“It was nothing, if you guys just wait here help will come for you,” she assured and the woman agreed with tearful eyes.

“Your friends went over there” she pointed and Aurora smiled.

She walked towards a few trees and soon saw Fay, Cece and Nico together with Hermione, Harry and Ron.

“Is everyone ok?” she asked and they all turned to look at her.

“For Merlin’s sake Aurora, where were you?” said Fay with a relieved sigh.

“I thought I had heard something so I went to check it,” she said and walked closer to the group.

“What is this thing?” she asked looking up at the giant skull at the sky.

“It’s the Dark Mark,” answered Nico, Aurora looked at him and saw that he was three shades paler.

“It’s his dark, you-know-who,” he said and Aurora looked up again.

“Voldemort,” she said.

“We should go back to the others,” said Fay.

But before they had taken a few hurried steps, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them. Aurora whirled around, and in an instant, she registered one fact: Each of these wizards had his wand out, and every wand was pointing right at herself, Ron, Harry, Cece, Fay, Nico and Hermione.

Aurora seized Cece and Nico and pulled them down onto the ground, she hugged the boy tighter and lowered her head so the spells wouldn’t hit him.

"STUPEFY!" roared twenty voices - there was a blinding series of flashes. Raising her head a fraction of an inch she saw jets of fiery red light flying over them from the wizards' wands, crossing one another, bouncing off tree trunks, rebounding into the darkness -

"Stop!" yelled a voice she recognized.

"STOP! That's my son!"

Aurora raised her head a little higher. The wizard in front of him had lowered his wand. She raised her head and saw Mr. Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified.

"Ron - Harry" - his voice sounded shaky

"Hermione - are you all right?"

"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice.

It was Mr. Crouch. He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them.

"Which of you did it?" he snapped, his sharp eyes darting between them.

"Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do that!" said Harry, gesturing up at the skull.

"We didn't do anything!" said Ron, who was rubbing his elbow and looking indignantly at his father.

"What did you want to attack us for?"

"Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping - he looked slightly mad.

"You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Barty," whispered a witch in a long woolen dressing gown,

"They're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to -"

“Mommy!” the little boy said and the woman looked at her.

“Merlin’s beard! Anthony, how… Where’s your sister? And your dad?” she asked hurrying to get the kid.

“The mean men took Loan, daddy said that he would find her and that I should wait at the tent but it started to burn so this nice miss took me out,” explained the little boy, the woman shot Aurora a grateful look.

“Thank you miss,” she said and the redheaded smiled.

“It was nothing,” said Aurora smiling.

"Where did the Mark come from?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.

"Over there," said Hermione shakily, pointing at the place where they had heard the voice.

"There was someone behind the trees... They shouted words - an incantation -"

“Morsmordre,” said Aurora.

“Excuse me?” asked Mr.Crouch.

“That’s what he said, the incantation,” explained the redhead.

"Oh, is that the incantation?" said Mr. Crouch, turning his popping eyes on Aurora now, disbelief etched all over his face.

"He said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy -"

“We saw a mean man doing it,” said the little boy and they all looked at him.

“And how was he dear? Did you met him before?” asked his mom and the boy denied.

“He had a yellow hair and was white too, one minute he was there and in the other he was gone,” said the boy amazed and his mom hugged him tighter.

None of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr. Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that anyone of them had conjured the skull; on the contrary, at Hermione's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction she had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.

"We're too late," said the witch still holding her son and shaking her head.

"They'll have Disapparated."

"I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father.

"Our Stunners went right through those trees.... There's a good chance we got them.... "

"Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared into the darkness. Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth.

A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shout.

"Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's - but - blimey... "

"You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving.

"Who? Who is it?"

They heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms.

Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited his elf on the ground at his feet. The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch. For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again.

"This - cannot - be," he said jerkily.

"No -"

He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky.

"No point, Mr. Crouch," Mr. Diggory called after him.

"There's no one else there."

But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. They could hear him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching.

"Bit embarrassing," Mr. Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky's unconscious form.

"Barty Crouch's house-elf.... I mean to say..."

"Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly,

"You don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand. "

"Yeah," said Mr. Diggory,

"And she had a wand."

"What?" said Mr. Weasley.

"Here, look." Mr. Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley.

"Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start. No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand. "

Just then, there was another pop and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley. Looking breathless and disorientated, he spun on the spot, goggling upward at the emerald-green skull.

"The Dark Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky as he turned inquiringly to his colleagues.

"Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"

Mr. Crouch had returned empty-handed. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and his toothbrush mustache were both twitching.

"Where have you been, Barty?" said Bagman.

"Why weren't you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat too - gulping gargoyles!" Bagman had just noticed Winky lying at his feet.

"What happened to her?"

"I have been busy, Ludo," said Mr. Crouch, still talking in the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips. "And my elf has been stunned."

"Stunned? By you lot, you mean? But why -?"

Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman's round, shiny face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky, and then at Mr. Crouch.

"No!" he said.

"Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand, for a start!"

"And she had one," said Mr. Diggory.

"I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."

Crouch gave no sign that he had heard Mr. Diggory, but Mr. Diggory seemed to take his silence for assent. He raised his own wand, pointed it at Winky, and said, "Ennervate!"

Winky stirred feebly. Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked several times in a bemused sort of way. Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position.

She caught sight of Mr. Diggory's feet and slowly, tremulously, raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Aurora could see the floating skull reflected twice in her enormous, glassy eyes. She gave a gasp, looked wildly around the crowded clearing, and burst into terrified sobs.

"Elf!" said Mr. Diggory sternly.

"Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!"

Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts.

"As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago," said Mr. Diggory.

“And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"

"I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped.

"I is not knowing how, sir!"

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" barked Mr. Diggory, brandishing it in front of her.

“Hey - that's mine!" Harry said

Everyone in the clearing looked at him.

"Excuse me?" said Mr. Diggory, incredulously.

"That's my wand!" said Harry.

"I dropped it!"

"You dropped it?" repeated Mr. Diggory in disbelief.

"Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" said Mr. Weasley, very angrily.

"Is Harry Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"

"Er - of course not," mumbled Mr. Diggory.

"Sorry... Carried away... "

"I didn't drop it there, anyway," said Harry, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull.

"I missed it right after we got into the wood."

"So," said Mr. Diggory, his eyes hardening as he turned to look at Winky again, cowering at his feet.

"You found this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose.

"I is... I is... I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"

"It wasn't her!" said Hermione. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same.

"Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked around at Harry and Ron, appealing for their support.

"It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?"

“She’s right. I saw him, it was a man. I’m sure of it,” said Aurora.

"Hermione’s right," said Harry.

"It definitely didn't sound like an elf."

"Yeah, it was a human voice," said Ron.

"Well, we'll soon see," growled Mr. Diggory, looking unimpressed.

"There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?"

Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Mr. Diggory raised his own wand again and placed it tip to tip with Harry's.

"Prior Incantato!" roared Mr. Diggory.

Aurora heard Hermione gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.

"Deletrius!" Mr. Diggory shouted, and the smoky skull vanished in a wisp of smoke.

"So," said Mr. Diggory with a kind of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking convulsively.

"I is not doing it!" she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror.

"I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"

"You've been caught red-handed, elf!" Mr. Diggory roared.

"Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!"

"Amos," said Mr. Weasley loudly,

"Think about it... Precious few wizards know how to do that spell.... Where would she have learned it?"

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," said Mr. Crouch, cold anger in every syllable,

"That I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

There was a deeply unpleasant silence. Amos Diggory looked horrified.

"Mr. Crouch... Not... Not at all.”

"You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark!" barked Mr. Crouch.

"Harry Potter - and myself. I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?"

"Of course - everyone knows -" muttered Mr. Diggory, looking highly discomforted.

"And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.

"Mr. Crouch, I - I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered again, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.

"If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch.

"Where else would she have learned to conjure it?"

“Maybe with his son, dad told me he was a death eater,” muttered Nico to his friends so quietly that no one heard them.

"She - she might've picked it up anywhere -"

"Precisely, Amos," said Mr. Weasley.

"She might have picked it up anywhere.... Winky?" he said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he too was shouting at her.

"Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"

Winky was twisting the hem of her tea towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers.

"I - I is finding it... finding it there, sir... "She whispered,

"There... In the trees, sir.”

"You see, Amos?" said Mr. Weasley.

"Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."

"But then, she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" said Mr. Diggory impatiently.

"Elf? Did you see anyone?"

Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggory, to Ludo Bagman, and onto Mr. Crouch. Then she gulped and said,

"I is seeing no one, sir... No one... "

 _She was clearly lying._ Aurora thought and shot a quick glance to his friends. Apparently, they were thinking the same thing.

"Amos," said Mr. Crouch curtly,

"I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her. "

Mr. Diggory looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion at all, but it was clear to Aurora that Mr. Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him.

"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.

"M-m-master..." Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears.

"M-m-master, p-p-please..."

Mr. Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze.

"Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," he said slowly.

"I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me. This means clothes. "

"No!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr. Crouch's feet.

"No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"

Aurora felt terribly sorry for the elf. She hadn’t done anything and she didn’t deserved to have someone screaming at her face for something she didn’t do. It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet.

"But she was frightened!" Hermione burst out angrily, glaring at Mr. Crouch.

"Your elf's scared of heights, and those wizards in masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"

Mr. Crouch took a step backward, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she were something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes.

"I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me," he said coldly, looking over at Hermione.

"I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."

“But she didn’t do anything! I told you, it was a man. I saw him,” argued Aurora angrily.

"Well, I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections. Amos, that wand's told us all it can - if Harry could have it back, please -" interrupted Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it.

“Celeste, Fay, and Aurora you can come with me too. I saw your parents heading back to their tent as well,” said Arthur.

“Nico will come too. He can walk back to his tent with Fay and her family,” said Celeste and the men agreed.

"Come on," Mr. Weasley said quietly but Hermione didn't seem to want to move; her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf.

"Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, more urgently. She turned and followed them out of the clearing and off through the trees.

"What's going to happen to Winky?" said Hermione, the moment they had left the clearing.

"I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.

"The way they were treating her!" said Hermione furiously.

"Mr. Diggory, calling her 'elf' all the time... And Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was - it was like she wasn't even human!"

"Well, she's not," said Ron.

Hermione rounded on him.

"That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron. It's disgusting the way -"

"Hermione, I agree with you," said Mr. Weasley quickly, beckoning her on.

"But now is not the time to discuss elf rights. I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the others?"

"We lost them in the dark," said Ron.

"Dad, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?"

"I'll explain everything back at the tent," said Mr. Weasley tensely.

“Aurora, did you really see a man doing it?” asked the man looking at her and the redhead agreed.

“I did. He was blond and had a light skin; he was not like Draco type of blonde though. He seemed… Young, but tired. I’m not sure,” said the girl and he nodded.

When they reached the edge of the wood, their progress was impeded. A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards was congregated there, and when they saw them, many of them surged forward.

“Miss!” someone said and Aurora was taken by surprise by the woman. She recognized her from before, she was she first one she got out of the tent.

“Thank you. Thank you, my kids. You saved them. They burned it right after we left, thank you,” she said hugging the girl, Aurora hugged her back awkwardly and she left.

“Aurora Wyer,” Mr. Fawcetts voice ringed sounding extremely angry.

“Hey, uncle Tommy. Glad to see you’re ok,” she said with a cautious smile but he glared at her.

“What the bloody hell were you thinking? Did you know what these people were looking for?” he asked.

“Muggles and muggleborns…,” she said still smiling.

“Fawcett; now is not the time. Let’s go inside, the Dunbar’s are already there,” said Arthur and Thomas guided his lot inside the Weasley’s tent.

“Fay Dunbar! What were you thinking! You’re grounded until you embark back to school. For Merlin’s sake, you have no sense! Let’s go, we need to get back at our tent. You come with us, Nico. We’ll drop you off,” said Mrs. Dunbar angry.

“Wish me luck,” muttered Fay and walked out from the tent with Nico and her parents.

“Aurora Wyer,” called Thomas with a dangerously calm tone.

“Yes?” She said already expecting the worse.

“I’ve never saw so much irresponsibility before! They could’ve got you Aurora,” he snapped and everyone stayed quiet.

“I know, but they were attacking the tents and there were people inside. If I didn’t do anything they could’ve been hurt,” defended the redhead and the man took a deep breath.

“Are you hurt? What about you Cee? Are you alright?” he asked now looking carefully in the girls to see if they had any bruises.

“We’re fine, dad,” said Cece and he agreed.

Thomas took a deep breath and sat at one of the chairs.

“Arthur kindly allowed us to stay here tonight. Before disapparating one of the death eater set fire into our tent, I was able to contain it so we didn’t lose much but still couldn’t sleep there,” said Thomas.

“I think it was Lucius,” he said and Arthur took a deep breath.

“I thought you were friends,” told him Mr. Weasley.

“I don’t think he was targeting me, or Cece, as a matter of fact,” he said and Aurora sighed annoyed.

“He’s a coward that one! Torturing at innocent people! And what they were doing to those muggles. God! I hate that man,” she snapped annoyed.

“He was targeting you, Aurora. You need to be careful around these people, especially around Draco,” said Mr. Fawcett.

“Draco wouldn’t hurt me,” Aurora said and they all eyed her incredulously.

“You do realize that he’s father tried to kill you, right?” said one of the Weasleys.

“I know, but Draco is my friend. He would never hurt me,” she said firmly.

“She’s right. Besides, I know Draco. He can’t harm a flee if you want to know, he’s all talk. That’s all,” agreed Cece.

“Well; just stay alert. Ok? I managed to get your stuff from what was left from out tent, your presents too Aurora,” said Thomas pointing towards the corner.

“Thank you, uncle Tommy,” she said with a smile and the man got up. As he was about to leave Rory noticed that he was limping.

“Oh no, no, no. Sit,” she said pushing him down the chair again.

“Cece, could you…” she asked but her friend had already left.

“Girls, I’m fine,” he said with a laugh.

“Going home with a bleeding leg, don’t you enjoy living? Are you sure you want to show up with a bleeding leg at Corrinne Fawcett’s house?” joked Cece and he laughed.

“I surely don’t,” he said and Aurora got a few potions from her bag.

“You good? Can I see the others?” asked Aurora and Cece agreed.

She saw that one of the Weasleys’ was sitting at the small kitchen table, holding a bedsheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely. Another had a large rip in his shirt, and the other was sporting a bloody nose. Fred, George, and Ginny looked unhurt, though shaken.

She went to the one with the bleeding arm.

“May I?” she asked gently and he took the sheet of.

“That’s a nasty cut, that’s for sure,” she commented and he chuckled.

Aurora looked at it for a second and soon started to apply a few potions and spells, she putted a bandage on it.

“Good news; you’re gonna live,” she said with a smile and he laughed.

“Good to know, I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” he joked and she laughed.

“Bill Weasley, nice to meet you,” he said giving her his hand and she shook it.

“Aurora Wyer, pleasure,” she said smiling.

Cece had worked on her dad’s leg and was now helping Percy with his bloody nose.

“You good? Any more bruises?” she asked and he denied.

“Thank you,” he thanked and she moved to the one with a ripped shirt.

He smiled politely at her.

“You seem pretty used to doing this type of things,” he commented and she laughed.

“I am. Perks of being a big sister,” she joked and he laughed slightly.

“I know the feeling, but it was normally mom who would fix us up if we got hurt,” he said and she laughed.

“My baby brother trip in his own feet. I started to walk around with an aid kit after he slipped down the stairs and cut his legs in six different places,” she told him and he laughed incredulously.

“Six?” he asked with a laugh and she agreed.

“A clumsy boy he is,” she told him.

Aurora finished fixing him up and putted away her potions and sat next to Cece.

"So, did you get them, Dad?" said Bill.

"The person who conjured the Mark?"

"No," said Mr. Weasley.

"We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."

"What?" said Bill, Charlie, and Percy together.

"Harry's wand?" said Fred.

"Mr. Crouch's elf?" said Percy, sounding thunderstruck.

With some assistance from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Mr. Weasley explained what had happened in the woods. When they had finished their story, Percy swelled indignantly.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" he said.

"Running away when he'd expressly told her not to... Embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry... How would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control -"

"She didn't do anything - she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped at Percy, who looked very taken aback.

"Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.

"She didn't run amok!" shouted Hermione.

"She just picked it up off the ground!"

“And for the last time, it was a man,” said Aurora slightly annoyed.

“A man? What do you mean Aurora?” asked Thomas.

Aurora told them how they went to the woods and Fay was guiding the group and she was at the back, how she heard a noise and went to look for it so she saw a man.

“How was he?” asked Bill.

“Blonde, but not Malfoy type of blond. He seemed young but his face looked tired,” she said.

“But there was something about his face…” she said getting up frustrated.

“What? Anything distinct?” asked Thomas.

“No. I can picture him perfectly but I can’t see his face clearly,” she said pacing annoyed.

“Think carefully, Aurora. Anything can be helpful at the moment,” said Mr. Weasley.

“I think I’ve seen him before,” she blurted and they all looked at her surprised.

“Where? Near your house? Here?” asked Mr. Fawcett worriedly.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember. His face is so familiar but I can’t say from where,” said the redhead frustrated and sat down again. 

"Can someone explain what that skull thing was?" said Ron.

"It wasn't hurting anyone.... Why's it such a big deal?"

"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," said Hermione, before anyone else could answer.

"I read about it in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly.

"Of course people panicked... It was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."

"I don't get it," said Ron, frowning.

"I mean... It's still only a shape in the sky..."

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley.

"The terror it inspired... You have no idea, you're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside...." Mr. Weasley winced. Aurora saw Cece and her dad shuffling in their seats uncomfortably

"Everyone's worst fear... The very worst..."

There was silence for a moment then Bill said,

"Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Roberts before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified right now. "

"Death Eaters?" said Harry.

"What are Death Eaters?"

"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," said Thomas.

"I think we saw what's left of them tonight - the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway." He commented.

Aurora saw Ron sending Cece a disgusted look.

“Need anything Weasley?” snapped Aurora and Ron went red.

“I was just wondering how much of her dear friend’s parents were out there tonight,” said Ron pointing to Cece.

“My friends parents were out there helping the Ministry, just like my dad,” Cece snapped back.

“Right. And you and Malfoy are what, if not friends?” he said.

“Enough!” yelled Aurora.

"Anyway; we can't prove it was them, Bill," said Mr. Weasley ignoring the argument.

"Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.

"Yeah, I bet it was!" said Ron.

"Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods and he as good as told us his dad was one of those nutters in masks! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!" said Ron eyeing Celeste angrily.

"But what were Voldemort's supporters -" Harry began.

“Sorry," said Harry quickly.

"What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"The point?" said Mr. Weasley with a hollow laugh.

"Harry, that's their idea of fun. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun. I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly.

"But if they were the Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" said Ron.

"They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"

"Use your brains, will you Weasley," said Aurora with a lazy tone.

"If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives.... I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"

“How do you know that?” asked Harry.

“Well; of course she knows. She’s friends with a bunch of slytherins. Probably they told her,” said Ron and Aurora rolled her eyes at them.

"So... Whoever conjured the Dark Mark..."Said Hermione slowly,

"Were they doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley.

"But I'll tell you this... It was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now.... Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll be worried sick. We'll get a few more hours sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."

Aurora walked out of the tent with her belongings and went to the girls tent. She laid on the top bed of the bunker and Cece on the lower. Aurora put her head upside down to look at her friend, her hair falling everywhere.

“Merlin, you need to cut your hair,” mumbled Cece.

“You alright?” Aurora asked ignoring her friends comment.

“Yes. Nothing we’re not used to. Don’t worry,” answered the blonde with a smile.

“Ron is a git. Ignore him,” she said and Celeste agreed.

“Good night,” said Rory getting back to her bed.

“Night,” said the blonde.


	5. Beauxbatons and the Goblet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When in italic, imagine as french. Please :)  
> Enjoy <3

Aurora didn’t do much after the Quidditch world cup. She went on a few walks around Paris with her family and they spent the few days she had left together doing nothing, just enjoying each other company.

When Aurora finally did embarked to Beauxbatons, she was deadly nervous. She recalled when she first went to Hogwarts and how she was extremely anxious, but it wasn’t nothing compared with how she was feeling right now. If being the new kid at eleven was bad, being it the new kid at fourteen must be ten times worse. When she got into the carriage and started to look for a compartment, she was praying that she could find one empty. After wondering around the corridors, she finally found one and settle down.

Aurora was just so nervous. She was paying attention to those girls and they were nothing like her, how could she possibly fit in with them? The red haired was staring out the window and soon noticed that they were flying, it was amazing the view from there and the girl assumed that there must’ve spells to avoid the carriage to shake otherwise people would be terribly sick. The journey to the castle was not as long as the train, perhaps it was because they were flying, so she arrived to the palace around lunch.

The girl got out and followed the rest of the students to what seemed to be the dining hall, they all stood up and she could see the nervous first years looking around amazed. Rory wasn’t pick with where to live, the castle seemed to be incredible but so far she found Hogwarts way more welcoming.

 _“Welcome students and new students. I hope you had a safe trip. I would like to introduce myself; I’m the headmistress madam Olympia Maxime. You have a day of today to go around the academy and warm yourself up to the place, dinner would be served at eight. Your classes will start tomorrow at eight am sharp; I sincerely hope there’s not any lateness. You will find a board in the living hall for instructions and coordinates to your dorms and classrooms. At the dorms, there will be names on the doors so you can find your bedroom,”_ explained the woman, Aurora didn’t fully understand everything but she did catch the essence of it.

 _“Now, for our seventh year’s students. We are pleased to announce that our school was invited to participate of the Triwizard Tournament, at the school of Wizardry and Witchcraft of Hogwarts,”_ the woman said and a few people gave excited exclamations.

 _“However, there’s a rule that no student younger than seventeen is allowed to participate. Which is why, I reunited with the teachers to choose twelve of the best students of our academy. I will read out the names of the selected students at dinner, for now; you may sit down and enjoy your lunch. Once again, welcome to the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic,”_ finished the woman and everyone sat down.

The food also appeared magically in front of them. Aurora started to filled her plate with something she assumed it was fish and started to eat. After half an hour people started to leave to wander around the castle, the redhead finished her food and got up, ready to leave when she felt a light tap at her shoulder.

 _“Miss Wyer, Madam Maxime asks for you to meet her at her office. I’m here to take you there,”_ said a very, very blonde girl and Aurora nodded.

 _“My name is Fleur, by the way. Fleur Delacour,”_ introduced the girl with a smile.

 _“Aurora Wyer, it’s a pleasure to meet you,”_ Aurora greeted back with a smile.

They walked silently to a tower and she followed the girl towards a very large white door.

 _“You can knock; she’s expecting you. Welcome to the academy, I’ll see you around,”_ said Fleur waving and walking down the stairs.

Aurora knocked at the door and walked in as someone said she could. The girl looked around curiously and wondered if Dumbledore’s office was anything similar to this. There was two large windows and very long pastel-blue curtains, the headmistress chair was enormous and everything seemed clear and bright. It was wonderful, but again, not really welcoming.

 _“Ah, miss Wyer. I was expecting to see you,”_ a voice said behind her.

 _“Hello madam, I was told that you wanted to talk to me?”_ asked the ginger girl.

 _“Oh yes, precisely. I’m assuming you heard about the Triwizard tournament that I explained at lunch, correctly?”_ asked Madam Maxime.

 _“Yes, madam,”_ answered Aurora.

 _“Well; I’ve chosen twelve of my very best students to go and a few of students younger than the age requirements to cheer for our school. I’ve chosen Gabrielle Delacour whose family has been at our school for past a decade now and whose sister will be going, Ivan Krum whose big brother goes to Durmstrang and… You,”_ said the headmistress and the girl eyes her surprised and confused.

 _“Me? Why?”_ asked her curiously.

 _“Because we think it would do us good to have someone who already know the school and it’s students,”_ said the woman with a smile.

\-----------------

The redheaded girl was excited to see her friends again so she was basically bouncing up and down at the carriage and her schoolmates seemed to find that slightly annoying, not that she cared, at all.

“For Merlin’s sake Aurora, stand still,” said Ivan slightly annoyed.

“Sorry, I’m just excited. You’re going to love the castle, trust me,” she said happily.

“I bet I will. I wish mom had let me go to Durmstrang, I hate this school,” rumbled the boy and Rory gave him a sad smile.

“But. You’re going to see your big bro and I’m expecting an autograph,” joked the girl and he smiled.

“He’s pretty awesome, right? Viktor says I’m even better at flying than he was at my age,” said the boy with a proud smile.

“Oh! I want to see that,” said the girl and he nodded.

The rest of the trip was with both of them laughing and joking. Ivan was going because the worlds’ best seeker was his big brother; he was a third year and really nice but has nothing to do with his brother. Ivan was taller than the other kids his age, he had a lighter hair but still dark, his eyes were round and hazel colored and his nose was way prettier than his brother. He was actually similar to Viktor but was more delicate and didn’t looked as rough and brute as his brother.

When they finally arrived she heard everyone making a fuzz about the weather, but she could only smile. She was probably going to be freezing but she didn’t care, she was finally home and that alone was enough. As they landed, Ivan was asked to open the door and unfold the steps. After the headmistress got out they went down in line. She heard Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice.

"I hope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

Aurora saw a few students staring at them but fortunately, since she was smaller and was in the middle people didn’t seem to noticed her.

"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore.

"Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime.

"But the horses -"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore,

"The moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er – charges,"

"My steeds require - er - forceful handling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job.

"They are very strong...."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly.

"Will you please inform this Hagrid that the horses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

\---------

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean-shaven again - seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.

"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down.

"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would have normally. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore.

"I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table.

"Where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting.... A few people kept checking their watches...

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice,

"Will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Harry saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause.

"Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore,

"Is Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted as the girl who so resembled a veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Oh look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next...

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called

"Is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; the uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the tumult died down.

"Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out –

“Aurora Wyer” he read and everyone remained silent.

“Aurora Wyer,” Dumbledore said louder.

Harry looked for a famous redhead towards the great hall. He saw her getting up from the Ravenclaw table; staring at her impressed as he felt a weird feeling at his stomach. Aurora wasn’t that different from what he was normally used to, the only remarkable difference was that her long fiery hair was down with hat on top of it and she had a bit of make up in her eyes. _She looked… Ok._ The boy was surprised to see her and even more surprised that he didn’t noticed her, since their first year that redhead always stood out for him. He didn’t knew why, but she always found a way of catching his eyes.

Harry was so lost in thought that he almost didn’t hear Dumbledore say.

“Harry Potter."


	6. The Five Champions

Aurora felt her body freeze as she heard her name being called. She felt her new schoolmates glaring at her enviously and angrily and Dumbledore called her again.

“Rory, go!” Ivan told her while pushing her.

Aurora walked up to meet her former headmaster and soon another parchment was thrown out of the goblet. He raised his hand at her, as a sign to make her wait.

“Harry Potter,” Dumbledore said.

Aurora stood there too shocked to say anything, his reception was the same as hers. There was no applause, no celebration, nothing. Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly and at the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

"Harry Potter!" he called again.

"Harry! Up here, if you please!"

After what seemed like an hour, he was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon him. Aurora eyed the boy curiously and soon understand that he also had not putted his name on the goblet.

"Well... Through the door, Harry, you too Aurora," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling.

Aurora and Harry moved off along the teachers' table. Hagrid was seated right at the end. He did not wink at any of them, or wave, or give any of his usual signs of greeting. He looked completely astonished and stared at them as they passed like everyone else. Aurora went with the boy through the door out of the Great Hall and found herself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite her.

The faces in the portraits turned to look at her as she entered. She saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear.

Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, and Fleur Delacour were grouped around the fire. They looked strangely impressive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding, was leaning against the mantelpiece, slightly apart from the other two. Cedric was standing with his hands behind his back, staring into the fire. Fleur Delacour looked around when Aurora and Harry walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

"What is it?" she said.

"Do they want us back in the Hall?"

She thought they had come to deliver a message. Aurora didn't know how to explain what had just happened and judging by Harry’s face, he also didn’t knew. She just stood there, looking at the three champions. It struck her how very tall all of them were. The redheaded girl knew she was short, but she was incredibly small next to them.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind them, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and Aurora by the back, and guided them forward.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm and sending the girl a smile.

"Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen... Lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three.

"May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the fourth and the fifth Triwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry but his eyes softened looking at Aurora. Cedric looked nonplussed. He looked from Bagman to Harry and back again, as though sure he must have misheard what Bagman had said; his eyes fell on Aurora for a second and he frowned. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said,

"Oh, very funny joke, Mister Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered.

"No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire! So did hers, ah… Sorry, who are you again?" he asked and Aurora rolled her eyes

“Aurora Wyer,” said the redhead.

Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Cedric was still looking politely bewildered. Fleur frowned.

"But evidently there has been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman.

"They cannot compete. They are too young. "

"Well... It is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry.

"But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as their name's come out of the goblet... I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage.... It's down in the rules, you're obliged... Harry and miss Wyler will just have to do the best they -"

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Aurora heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress.

"They are saying that this little boy and Aurora is to compete also! She is just a little girl,"

Aurora rose her eyebrow to the girl but remained quiet. Little girl? Fleur was what? Three years older than her? So what, Aurora was able to fight her right now if she needed, she might not win but she would for sure rip that annoying smile from that annoying pretty face of hers.

Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice.

"Two Hogwarts champions and two Beauxbatons champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions - or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"Is impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder.

"'Hogwarts cannot have two champions and I will not let this girl compete."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever.

"Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice.

"Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here -"

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair.

Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.

"No," said Harry. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.

"No," said Harry vehemently.

"Ah, but of course he is lying!" cried Madame Maxime. Snape was now shaking his head, his lip curling.

“And you? We brought you so we would have someone to help us, not to betray us. Betraying a schoolmate like this! Such behavior is not tolerable in my school! I should’ve known better, you don’t have what it takes to go to Beauxbatons. So unmannered, so poor and so disrespectful. You mind go looking for another school to go next year. Embarrassing our school like this, I should’ve seem it coming,” spat Madam Maxime and Aurora felt her face burn.

“Don’t be so harsh, Olympia. I bet Ms. Wyer have a good explanation for us,” said Dumbledore.

“I didn’t put my name in that thing,” said Aurora firmly.

“Did you asked someone to put it for you?” the man asked and Rora denied.

“No, sir,” she said obstinate.

“How dare you. Lying straight to our face, I should’ve heard when they said you had a distaste for rules,” said the headmistress.

“I did not put my name at that thing. Believe in whatever you want, but this is the truth,” spat Aurora and the headmistress widened her eyes.

“I will not be spoken like this from any of my students. You might as well apologize at this instant, admit what you did and how you did it,” said Maxime angry.

“I didn’t do anything! I told you I didn’t put my name at that thing, but if you want to blame someone that badly you should blame yourself because you were the one who brought me here even if I was under the age restriction! I didn’t ask to come, but perhaps you should tell them why you decided to bring me and Ivan at this damn trip!” yelled the redhead, nobody spoke and the headmistress was deep red. Aurora just didn’t knew if it was embarrassment or angriness.

“You’re expelled! You’re returning to the school immediately! I can’t believe… Where you think you’re going? I’m not finished…. Don’t you dare turn you back at your headmistress… How dare…” Maxime screamed but Aurora felt like she already had too much of all this crap to she started to walk towards the door.

“Didn’t they tell you, _madam_? Besides not liking rules, I have a terrible temper,” Aurora said with an ironic smile and walked out of the room.

\-----------

Harry had a trouble hiding his smile when the girl walked out. It was nice to see Aurora snapping at someone who wasn’t him or Ron for a change, right now, he agreed with pretty much everything she had said.

“They could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply.

"I am sure we are all agreed on that -"

"Dumbledore must have made a mistake with the line," said Madame Maxime, sharply.

"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely.

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily.

"Really, what nonsense! Harry and Aurora could not have crossed the line themselves, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that they did not persuade an older student to do it for them, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!"

She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.

"Mr. Crouch... Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more,

"You are our - er - objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?"

Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half-darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.

"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed.

"You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore. "

"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman.

"The Goblet of Fire's just gone out - it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament -"

"- in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff.

"After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door.

"You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"

Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk.

"Convenient?" said Karkaroff.

"I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."

Harry could tell he was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth his notice, but his hands gave him away; they had balled themselves into fists.

"Don't you?" said Moody quietly.

"It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that goblet knowing he'd have to compete if it came out. "

"Evidently, someone too wished to give Hogwarts two bites at the apple!" said Madame Maxime bitterly.

"Don’t you forget your school has two champions as well, Madame Maxime," said Karkaroff angrily.

"I shall be lodging complaints with the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards -"

"If anyone's got reason to complain, it's Potter and Wyer," growled Moody,

"But... Funny thing... I don't hear him saying a word... "

“Miss Wyer was humiliated before she even had the chance to explain what happened; I don’t blame her for snapping at you,”

"Why should they complain?" burst out Fleur Delacour, stamping her foot.

"They have the chance to compete, don't they? We have all been hoping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! The honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money - this is a chance many would die for!"

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter is going to die for it," said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.

An extremely tense silence followed these words. Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said,

"Moody, old man... What a thing to say!"

"We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime," said Karkaroff loudly.

"Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.

"Imagining things, am I?" growled Moody.

"Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put the boy and the girl's name in that goblet..."

“Ah, what evidence is there of that?" said Madame Maxime, throwing up her huge hands.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody.

"It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament.... I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school and Wyer names’ under a fifth, to make sure they were the only one in their category... "

"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff coldly,

"And a very ingenious theory it is - though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously.... "

"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," Moody retorted in a menacing voice.

"It's my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff - as you ought to remember...

"Alastor!" said Dumbledore warningly. Harry wondered for a moment whom he was speaking to, but then realized "Mad-Eye" could hardly be Moody's real first name. Moody fell silent, though still surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction - Karkaroff's face was burning.

"How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, speaking to everyone gathered in the room.

"It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen to compete in the Tournament, same as Miss Delacour and Aurora. This, therefore, they will do.... "

"Ah, but Dumbledore,"

"My dear Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it."

Dumbledore waited, but Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely glared. She wasn't the only one either. Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.

"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room.

"Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?"

Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie.

"Yes," he said,

"Instructions. Yes... The first task..."

He moved forward into the firelight. Close up, Harry thought he looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch World Cup. They heard the door open again and Aurora walked in with professor McGonagall behind her.

“Since them both will compete. It’s fair that all of them heard the instructions,” said the woman unhappy.

“Excellent, thank you Minerva,” said Dumbledore and gestured for the girl to approach the group.

Harry could see that she was still very mad and had completely ignored the dirty glances her headmistress was sending her.

"The first task is designed to test your daring," he told Harry, Cedric, Fleur, Aurora and Viktor.

"So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard... Very important...."

“The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.”

"The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore.

"I think that's all, is it, Albus?"

"I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

"No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr. Crouch.

"It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment.... I've left young Weatherby in charge.... Very enthusiastic... A little overenthusiastic, if truth be told... "

"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" said Dumbledore.

"Come on, Barry, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly.

"It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"

"I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience.

"Professor Karkaroff - Madame Maxime - a nightcap?" said Dumbledore.

But Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room. Aurora was left alone in the room with the other students, Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they, too, exited, though in silence.

"Harry, Cedric, I suggest you go up to bed," said Dumbledore, smiling at both of them.

"I am sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."

“Same goes for you, Aurora. You should get back to the carriage,” said Dumbledore.

“Can’t wait to see those annoying faces that make me want to punch them,” muttered Aurora sarcastically. The headmaster gave her a sympathetic look.

She left without saying anything and very, very slowly, walked back to the carriages. She saw her schoolmates celebrating and sneaked out to her bedroom. She was sharing it with two girls named Rosalia and Antoniete, fortunately both of them were out celebrating so she didn’t needed to say anything to them. Aurora was still very pissed and decided on taking a quick shower before going to bed, she wasn’t feeling festive enough to go out celebrating anything. The girl didn’t noticed how long she stayed up before finally dozing off.


	7. Rita Skeeter

Aurora stayed in bed longer than the usual. She was aware that people would be staring at her and that would be incredibly annoying, but she was not going to let a bunch of girls she barely knew get to her. Besides, she was at Hogwarts! Cece, Fay and Nico would believe her. Or at least… She hopped they did.

The girl got up and got dressed before walking to the great hall. Her head held high and her usual smile on her face. She walked to the Great Hall and sat at the gryffindor table in front of Fay, the girl smiled at her.

“My, my. You definably knows how to make an entrance,” she said with a smirk.

“People happens to notice me, can’t help it,” joked Aurora putting a toast in her plate.

She could see a few girls from Beauxbatons sitting at the Ravenclaw table and sending her dirty looks, Aurora just smirked and waved at them.

“Already popular, aren’t you?” said Cece sitting next to her and Nico sat on her other side.

“Slytherins went nuts when you and Potter got chosen; it was the highlight of my day. Thank you very much,” said Nico taking some toast.

“You very welcome; but I must say. I didn’t put my name at this thing,” she said drinking a bit of her pumpkin juice.

“We know,” said Cece also drinking her juice.

“We’ve met right after the selection. None of us thought that you had putted your name at it, you would’ve told us if you were going to do that and besides… Everybody knows that you have to be extremely mental to enter this tournament free willingly,” said Nico.

“Actually, I thought you had at first. But they talked me out of it. Sorry,” said Fay and she smiled.

“Thank you lot, I would be doomed if you too decided not to talk to me,” said Aurora gratefully.

“We know. Seems like Harry wasn’t as lucky, thought. I heard that Ron is not talking to him,” said Fay and Rory snorted.

“I agree that Potter is incredibly nosy and tend to go around minding others people’s business, but this time I don’t think he did anything,” said Aurora and Cece chocked on her juice.

“You alright?” asked Rory giving her friend light taps on her back.

“Did you just says that Potter didn’t do anything?” said Cece incredulously.

“Yes,” said Rory simply.

“I never thought I would see this day,” mocked Nico and the redhead rolled her eyes.

“Very funny. Still; if someone put my name on it they could’ve putted his as well. I’m sure Potter doesn’t have the brains to confuse the goblet,” explained Aurora.

“You do know that he’s one of the best students on our year, right?” said Fay with a laugh.

“I never said he isn’t talented. I just said he’s not smart enough to _plan_ on how to do something like that,” said Aurora.

“Well; can’t argue that. Anyways, what did they told you yesterday?” asked Nico.

Aurora told them about everything that happened last night, including the fact that she was potentially expelled.

“What?” yelled Cece and Aurora slapped her.

“Can you say it any louder, I don’t think France heard you yet,” muttered the redhead annoyed.

“So you don’t know what the first test’s going to be?” Nico asked and Rory denied.

“I’m not excited to find out either,” commented the girl getting up.

“Oh, come on. We’ll help you,” said Fay.

“You guys now that I’m competing for Beauxbatons, don’t you?” asked Aurora with a laugh.

“We know. But… You know; on the opposite of what people think, we slytherins tend to be really loyal to our friends and since we’re not friends with Potter or Diggory we will help you,” said Cece and the redheaded smiled.

“And… I might be cheering on Harry since I’m a gryffindor, but I will surely help you anyway I can,” said Fay smiling.

“Slyffindors, you guys are the best friends anyone could ask for,” said Aurora hugging her friends.

“We know, we know. Now; let’s go for a walk before you wear out of that many stares,” joked Cece.

If Aurora had thought that things would be better once everyone got used to the idea of her being champion, the following day showed her how mistaken she was. She was lucky she had her friends and Ivan on her side, Aurora had guessed that the young boy had said something about her to his brother since Viktor would sent her an approval look every time he saw her.

Ivan went down to breakfast with her and she took this opportunity to introduce him to her friends.

“Everyone, this is Ivan. He’s the only decent kid I’ve met at that school in a month. He’s a third year and Krumdelicious baby brother, that’s the reason madam Maxime brought him here,” introduced the ginger girl.

“Iv, these are my friends. Cece Fawcetts, Fay Dunbar and Nico Graham,” said Aurora point to each of them.

“Pleasure to meet you,” said Ivan with a smile.

“You’re so different from your brother,” commented Cece and he laughed.

“Get that a lot,” he said and they agreed.

“So, why did your brother went to Durmstrang and you go to Beauxbatons?” asked Cece and he sighed.

“Mom said I was too delicate for Durmstrang, which is a complete rubbish in my opinion, so she sent me to Beauxbatons,” rumbled the boy.

Their attention was taken by a wave of blonde hair and Fleur stopped in front of them

“Good morning, Aurora and Ivan. Madam Maxime told me to tell you that since you’re the only ones who are not sixth or seventh years you will be taking your classes with the other Hogwarts students. Here is you schedules,” said Fleur give them a piece of paper.

“Thank you, Fleur,” said Aurora with a smile and the blonde girl smiled back. Fleur eyed Nico and smiled.

“It was nothing. Are you still using the jam?” asked her to Nico, throwing her long hair behind her shoulder and smiling. Aurora noticed a few boys drooling on their food and spitting their juices.

“Yes, we are,” Nico said with a forceful smile. Fleur seemed taken aback and gave him a smile.

“I see, well; goodbye them,” she said walking out.

All the girls eyed him surprised.

“How did you resisted?” asked Fay amazed.

“I’m used to having veelas around my house,” explained the boy shrugging.

“How?” asked Cece.

“A few of my mother’s friends,” he explained.

“Can any of you help me find the classrooms?” asked Ivan nervously looking at the paper.

Aurora was about to answer him but she saw a familiar redhead walking into the great hall and smiled.

“I have a better idea,” she said getting up.

“Come on,” she said to the boy and he walked behind her. She saw Ginny Weasley walking with her brother towards the gryffindor table. 

“Weasley!” Aurora said loudly and both of the redheads stopped.

“What?” asked Ron rudely.

“Not you,” Aurora snapped back and the boys’ ears turned really red.

“Hey, Aurora. Is everything alright?” asked Ginny and Aurora smiled.

“Yes, yes it is. Actually, I was wondering if you can do me a favor,” said Rory.

“She’s not interested on doing you any favor, Wyer,” snapped Ron.

“She has a mouth and can talk for herself, Weasley. Stop nosing other people’s business,” said the girl annoyed.

“What do you need?” asked Ginny and Aurora pulled the boy from behind her.

“This is Ivan, he came with us to watch the tournament and since he’s a third year he will be having his classes with Hogwarts students. I was wondering if you could help him find some classes, since you’re also a third year,” she said and smirked as she noticed the girls cheek go a bit red.

“S-Sure. W-Why not,” Ginny said with a small smile.

“Thank you. Ivan Krum, pleasure to meet you,” said the boy giving her his hand. Ginny shook it still a bit red.

Both of them started to talk as the boy showed her his schedule. Aurora went back to her place and sat down.

“We’re late for class. Come on.” Said Nico getting up and Aurora groaned.

“But I didn’t eat yet,” whinnied the girl and they started to pull her out of the table as the girl stuffed a bunch of food in her mouth.

“My god, you’re classy. Aren’t you?” mocked Fay and Aurora glared at her.

“Albwas,” said the girl with her mouth still full.

Aurora went to Herbology with Fay and soon noticed that the Hufflepuffs and even the Gryffindors weren’t very happy to see her. She saw that with Harry it wasn’t very different and stifled a laugh as Ernie Macmillan and Justin Flinch Fletchley laughed when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face. The boy glared at her and she noticed that Ron wasn't talking to Harry either, Hermione sat between them, making very forced conversation, but though both answered her normally, they avoided making eye contact with each other.

She was happy that her next class was Care of Magical Creatures since she loved animals and she was always found of Hagrid’s teaching methods.

Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer.... Half the Triwizard champions have died... How long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet. "

“Now, Now Dracs. If you’re going to get anyone’s autograph it better be mine,” said Aurora and the boy laughed.

“You think you’re going to last at that tournament?” he asked with a provocative smirk.

“Well; I survived three years sharing classes with you. If that doesn’t make me a champion, then…” joked Aurora with a smirk and he laughed.

“Good luck then, Aurora,” he said with his famous sneer.

Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes.

"And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating.

"Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry - you come here an' help me with this big one...."

“See Dracs, it’s like walking a puppy. I bet you can do it,” Aurora mocked.

“Oh, come on Rory. As if Draco Malfoy would know how to walk a dog,” teased Cece. The blonde rolled his eyes.

“Very funny Aurora, but can you shut up or just help me,” he said and the redhead laughed.

“Why would I? It’s hilarious to see you try,” said Rory with a laugh.

The class was widely scattered now and all in great difficulty, Aurora on the other hand was at the corner laughing crazily with Fay, Nico and Cece.

The next few days were a bit more normal and people seemed to be forgetting she was one of the champions, well… At least the Hogwarts students seemed to. Harry, however, was looking more lonely than ever. So… Ok, maybe she was feeling bad for him and maybe she was worried. But he had some pretty good friends. Hermione was an amazing friend and cared very deeply about both of her best friends, and Ron might be a git but Aurora always admired how loyal to Potter he was. Seeing how he turned his back at his best friend only made the girl dislike him more.

Double Potions was always one of her favorite classes. Not because she liked Snape but because she loved potions, still being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with the head of the slytherins and a few slytherin girls all of whom seemed determined to torment people for no reason, was about the most unpleasant thing Aurora could imagine. She had already struggled through one Friday's worth, with Nico sitting next to her intoning, "ignore them, ignore them, ignore them" under his breath, and she couldn't see why today should be any better.

When she and her friends arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. In luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY-

THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached.

"And this isn't all they do - look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS!

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone,

"Really witty."

Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Potter either. Aurora took a deep annoyed breath.

"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione.

"I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

“Oh, what do you have here Dracs? Oh, sorry I’m sliming it up since I’m a _mudblood_ ,” said Aurora griping the boys hand with a smirk, Draco pulled his hand away but didn’t said anything.

She saw Harry reached for his wand before he'd thought what he was doing. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand.

"Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"

Aurora took her own wand out.

For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Funnunculus!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malfoy.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair and ricocheted off at angles - Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione on her face. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up and Hermione held her hands on her mouth with a whimper.

Ron had hurried forward to see if something was wrong with her.

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said

"Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir -"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"- and he hit Goyle - look -"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said.

"Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth - she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said.

"I see no difference,"

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

“You’re disgusting,” said Aurora to Snape loud enough for him to listen.

There was a glint in Snape’s eyes that Aurora had never seen before, he didn’t said anything to her and turned to Harry and Ron who had started shouting at Snape at the same time.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions. "

Aurora was incredibly mad at the entire situation, she stayed in the class because Fay didn’t allowed her to leave. She saw that Ron went to sit with Seamus and Dean, leaving Potter on his own at the back. The redhead looked at Fay and the girl smiled.

“Go. I bet things aren’t easy for him these days,” said the girl and Aurora groaned as she walked towards the boy.

Aurora sat next to him and took out her books from her bag.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped at her and she rose her eyebrow.

“Mind that attitude, will you,” she said with a warning tone.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“Snape is a git,” said the girl and he agreed.

“The biggest,” complemented the boy.

“So, how are things going with your schoolmates?” said the boy quietly.

“Well; they don’t really like me but I’m not sure it’s because of the tournament,” said the girl.

“Your friends, what did they thought about it?” he asked a bit uncomfortable.

“They know I didn’t put my name on it,” said the girl and he nodded.

“All of them?” he asked and she agreed.

“What about you? Are people still ignoring you?” she asked.

“Some of them,” he said quietly.

"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black eyes glittering unpleasantly.

"You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting someone on whom to test one..."

Snape's eyes met Harry's and Aurora knew what was coming. Snape was going to bully him for no reason. A knock on the dungeon door burst in on Aurora’s thoughts.

It was Colin Creevey; he edged into the room, beaming at Harry, and walked up to Snape's desk at the front of the room.

"Yes?" said Snape curtly.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter and Aurora Wyer upstairs." Snape stared down his hooked nose at Colin, whose smile faded from his eager face.

"Potter and Wyer have another hour of Potions to complete," said Snape coldly.

"They will come upstairs when this class is finished."

Colin went pink.

"Sir - sir, Mr. Bagman wants them," he said nervously.

"All the champions have got to go; I think they want to take photographs..."

Aurora would have given anything she owned to have stopped Colin saying those last few words and judging by the look on Harry’s face he would’ve agreed with her.

"Very well, very well," Snape snapped.

"Potter, Wyer leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir - they got to take their things with him," squeaked Colin.

"All the champions... "

"Very well!" said Snape.

"Potter, Wyer - take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Aurora and Harry got their bag and headed for the door. As they walked through the Slytherin desks, POTTER STINKS flashed at them from every direction.

“It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?" said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the dungeon door behind him.

"Isn't it, though? You being champion?"

"Yeah, really amazing," said Harry heavily as they set off toward the steps into the entrance hall.

“Not really,” said Aurora and the younger boy eyed her.

“Why?” asked him curiously.

“People look at you too much, sometimes that can be really overwhelming and sometime people can be really unkind,” said the girl softly and the boy seemed to think on her words.

“I see. I will tell my friends to avoid staring at you, Harry. If that’s bothering you,” said Colin innocently.

“T-thank you, Colin. It’s nice to know you understand, I also appreciate your support,” said Harry a bit taken aback.

“We’ll still be cheering on you! I bet you’ll do great,” said the boy with a smile.

"Thank you, Colin. Do you know what do they want photos for?"

"The Daily Prophet, I think!"

"Great," said Harry dully.

"Exactly what I need. More publicity. "

“Just hide behind me, Potter. With my face at the front, they’ll definably be looking at me,” said the girl with a smirk.

So _she_ _was going easy on him._ No, she didn’t liked him, but it wasn’t from her nature to just pretend she wasn’t seeing a problem. Aurora couldn’t turn he back at someone who needed, even if she didn’t like them. Her conscience would never leave her at peace if she did that.

"Good luck!" said Colin when they had reached the right room. Harry knocked on the door and they entered.

They were in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Aurora instantly recognized. She let out a frustrate growl at the sight of the woman who was wearing magenta robes, she would recognize that nosy Skeeter anywhere. She had made an article a few years ago about Cece’s dad and that didn’t end up well to both, her friend and her dad. Thomas was fired at the same day and Cece was bullied harder for at least a month. So to say that Aurora didn’t liked that woman was an understanding.

She saw Viktor Krum standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Cedric and Fleur were in conversation. Fleur was definably using her charms on the boy, Aurora just wasn’t sure if he was falling for it or if he was just being polite. A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.

Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.

"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come... Nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment -"

“Great to see you too, sir,” said Aurora sarcastically and he faced her.

“Ah, miss Wyer. Nice to see you, quite a personality you have hum,” he said with an awkward laugh.

"What’s a wand weighing?" Harry repeated nervously.

“We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman.

"The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes.

"She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet...."

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Harry and Aurora.

Her hair was set in horrible rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her even more horrible face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson. She was for sure the ugliest woman Aurora had ever seem.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry and Aurora before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at the boy and the girl.

"The youngest champions, you know... To add a bit of color?"

"Certainly!" cried Bagman.

"That is - if they have no objection?"

“Not interested,” said Aurora walking away before the woman had a chance to grab her.

She walked towards the other champions and Cedric send her a smile, same as Fleur. Viktor gave her a grunt.

“Hello there, older Krum,” said Aurora with a smile.

“You’re Ivan’s friend, right? He told me you are really nice to him,” said the boy with a very thick scent.

“I try. He’s a nice kid, much more tougher than he looks,” agreed Aurora and he grunt again.

“He is. My mom doesn’t seem to see it. I’ve been trying to convince her to send him to Durmstrang but she doesn’t think he’ll fit,” told her the boy.

“Well; I bet it would be better than Beauxbatons, he didn’t really talked to anyone besides me,” told her and he grunted annoyed.

“Perhaps I will try to talk to her again, thank you for being nice to him,” said the boy and she smiled.

“Don’t mention. Ivan was also really nice to me, but he challenged me to a Quidditch match and said he will probably beat me. I could not let him hurt my pride like this, so I’m waiting for the right moment to destroy him,” said Aurora with a smirk and the boy gave her a small smile.

“He’s a good flyer, will be a very good chaser,” he said and she agreed.

“I’m a chaser as well,” she said with a smile.

“You look like the type,” he agreed and she laughed.

“You’re officially the first person to tell me that,” the redhead said and he smiled discreetly.

Professor Karkaroff then told Viktor to go sit near the door and Aurora saw that Cedric and Fleur were doing the same, so she went and took a seat next to her schoolmate and waited for Harry to get back. Once the boy came into the room he sat down quickly next to Cedric, hooking up at the velvet-covered table, where four of the five judges were now sitting - Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Mr. Crouch, and Ludo Bagman. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions.

"He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Aurora then looked around and soon saw an old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. Aurora had never met Mr. Ollivander before, she knew he was a wand maker and a really famous one; but she didn’t went to buy a wand at his store in Diagon Alley when she first started at Hogwarts. Aurora’s wand was bought in a second handed shop with the rest of her supplies.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmm..." he said.

He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it chose to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly,

"Nine and a half inches... Inflexible... Rosewood... And containing... Dear me..."

"An hair from the head of a veela," said Fleur.

"One of my grandmother's."

So Fleur _was_ part veela, why Aurora wasn’t surprised.

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander,

"Yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands... However, to each his own, and if this suits you..."

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand.

"Mr. Diggory, you next."

Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand.

"Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... Must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches... Ash... Pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition... You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," said Cedric, grinning.

Aurora snorted at it. Oh dear, just wait until he sees her wand. It was working finely but it was not on the best conditions and she knew it.

Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Cedric's wand, pronounced himself satisfied, and then said,

"Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivanders.

"This is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I... However..."

He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes... hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded.

"Rather thicker than one usually sees... Quite rigid... Ten and a quarter inches... Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let off a blast hike a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivanders, handing Krum back his wand.

"Mr. Potter."

Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivanders. He handed over his wand.

"Aaaah, yes," said Mr. Ollivanders, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming.

"Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember. "

Mr. Ollivanders spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

“Now, lastly… Ms. Wyer,” said Ollivanders and Aurora walked towards him.

She gave him her wand and he frowned at it.

“This wand didn’t choose you, did it?” he asked and Aurora blushed a bit.

“No sir, I bought it at the second handed shop,” she said simply.

She heard her headmistress laughed quietly but she remained calm. Aurora was never embarrassed of anything she owned, it might not be new but she was well aware of how much her father had to work to maintain her at school.

“I see. It responds well to you, I see. It’s a bit damaged and it might not be recommendable to the tournament,” he said and she felt her body freeze.

“It works fine. I trust this wand, it had never failed me before,” Aurora said quickly.

She couldn’t possibly tell her dad she needed a wand. Not with Gabriel going to a new school with expansive uniforms, meals, and transportation.

“Are you sure, miss?” asked Dumbledore uncertain and she agreed.

“Very well then, thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table.

"You may go back to your lessons now - or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end -"

Feeling that at last something had gone right today, Aurora took her wand and was about to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly.

"All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er - yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry again.

"And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence.

Aurora lost her patience with the woman and pushed Harry behind her, pulling Cedric from her other side to stand next to Fleur.

“I think it will be better…” started the woman.

“He’ll stay there and at the moment I’m starving so please just take the bloody pictures, will you,” said the girl slightly annoyed.

“But…” tried her.

“Potter is famous, we got it. But guess what, he’ll continue to be famous even if he stays at the back,” said Aurora rudely.

The journalist gave her an annoying look and Cedric send her a small smile. Skeeter insisted on separate shots of all the champions but at last, they were free to go.

Aurora went down to dinner and sat at the slytherin table with Cece, Nico, Fay and Ivan. People were already used to Aurora sitting there with Fay at meals so they didn’t stared anymore, Ivan as sitting next to his brother and was telling him about his classes at Hogwarts.

“No. So that bloody snake is covering the tournament?” asked Cece incredulously and Aurora agreed.

“Bloody hell and you argued with her?” asked Nico and she agreed again.

“Why?” asked Fay.

“Because she was making Potter be the center of everything,” said the girl annoyed.

“Of course it was because of Potter,” joked Cece.

“So you putted Cedric on the middle?” asked Fay and she agreed.

“Cedric is nice and he’s the original Hogwarts champion, so I thought he deserved,” said the girl and they agreed.

“You went to talk to Harry at potions today,” said Fay with a smirk.

“I did. Because I’m a nice person, not because I like him or care about him,” explained the girl and they rolled their eyes with a smile.

“You’re going easy on him this year. You’re not even yelling at him that much,” mocked Nico and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“We’re not around each other that much and he didn’t gave me a reason to yell at him yet. I still think he’s a toerag and I still dislike his personality,” said the girl.

“And here we were, thinking that you finally had realized your feelings for the boy,” joked Cece and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“I know what I feel about him. Hate, dislike, annoyance, I can go on if you want…” said the girl and they laughed.

When she finished dinning, she said goodbye to her friends and went back to the carriages. She sent straight to her bedroom and saw that her roommates were already there, they ignored the girl and she ignored them. Aurora took a shower and decided to write to her dad and her brother. She took a parchment from her backpack and started to write.

_“Dear Dad and Gabe;_

_I’m sorry I didn’t wrote to you sooner, I need to update you on the news and then you will understand why it took a bit more time._

_I’m at Hogwarts. No dad, I didn’t run away or anything. It’s just that this year there is a special event involving three schools of magic from Europe and it’s being held at Hogwarts. I came with Beauxbatons and we will stay here until the end of the academic year. I’m kind happy about it, actually and I’ve been enjoying it so far. I made a new friend at Beauxbatons, his name is Ivan and he’s really nice._

_I miss you both very deeply and I hope you’re both well. I’ll try to write again soon._

_Lots of love,_

_\- Rory”_

The girl folded her letter, put it together with her backpack, and went to bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	8. Preparations and Confrontations

The days went on and Aurora was not in shock for being chosen anymore, but she was definably starting to get nervous. The first task was drawing steadily nearer; she felt as though it were crouching ahead of her hike some horrific monster, barring her path. Aurora was normally very confident on herself so she could guarantee that she had never suffered nerves like these

On top of her nerves, there was the article Rita Skeeter had published about the Triwizard Tournament and as the girl had imagined it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament but a ridiculous story about her favorite person in the world. Toerag Potter had his picture over the first page; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about the boy, the names of Fleur and Viktor had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all. As if it wasn’t bad enough, the woman had also mentioned her name a couple of times and according to Skeeter; Aurora was a _“Poor orphan with an envious, rude and lousy personality. Besides an extreme behavior issues and a nasty temper,”_

Aurora didn’t knew if she was angrier at the woman for writing just about Potter and purposely leaving the others out, or by the fact that she didn’t even knew what she was writing about. Aurora _wasn’t_ an orphan. She had noticed that Cedric was pretending to not be upset about it but she knew better, also the day when the article first came out Aurora saw Fleur almost shedding a few tears at the carriage because _“her family was so excited to see it,”_. The news also told that Hermione and Harry were together which was hilarious in the girl’s opinion, because she was pretty sure that everyone knew that Hermione had a thing for Weasley. 

Aurora sat on the gryffindor table for breakfast and soon enough Fay, Nico and Cece showed up.

“Morning,” said Fay and Aurora smiled.

“So, what will be your plan for the first task?” asked Cece.

“Go to the library and read everything I can about whatever I might face at the first suicide mission, and possibly learn all the spells I can,” said the girl with a sigh.

“Well; we’ll help you. Fay and I can make a list of potential creatures and Cece and you can make a list of spells,” said Nico and they agreed.

“You guys are amazing. Seriously, I will make you a cake as a present,” said Aurora and they laughed.

“As long as you make a carrot cake I think it’s a great payment,” said Nico and Aurora laughed.

“I’m going to the library, see you later,” said the girl stuffing more food in her mouth and hushing out of the great hall.

She spent the next day locked at the library going through the list Fay and Nico had made, and ended up with a headache for all of the information. Aurora noticed that Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too, and the girl would find it weird if she didn’t saw him staring at Hermione Granger the entire time.

On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Aurora didn’t wanted to go, but Cece had threated to lock her in a classroom with Potter if she didn’t leave that library

"What about Ivan?" asked Nico.

"Yeah. It’s been a while since we last saw him" agreed Cece and Aurora smirked.

“Well; let’s just say that he and Ginny Weasley had become great friends,” said the girl and they laughed.

“I knew it,” said Fay with a clap.

They walked happily towards the Honeydukes. Once they got into the store she met Hermione, the girl was alone and seemed to be looking at something and talking to herself. She walked close to the bushy haired girl with a smile.

“Hey, Hermione,” she greeted.

“Oh, hey Aurora. Great to see you,” said the brunette eying nervously to her side.

“You came alone today?” Aurora asked.

“Well; yes. Harry didn’t felt like coming and I’ll probably meet Ron on the three broomsticks,” answered the bushy haired girl.

“I see. Well; we didn’t had the chance to talk after your incident at potions. How are you?” asked the redhead.

“I’m fine, madam Pomfrey could help me without much trouble. Harry told me you went to sit with him after I had to leave. Thank you for that,” said the girl and Aurora smiled.

“It was ok, I mean… For Potter, but I’m surprised that Weasley hadn’t came around yet. He’s a more of a git than I thought… No offense,” said the redhead and she heard a chuckle that didn’t came from her or Hermione.

“He will come around. It’s Ron, he always does after a while. How are you, by the way? With the tournament?” asked Hermione.

“Well; just trying to prepare so I won’t die. My friends are helping me a lot with this,” answered the redheaded girl.

“Harry is the same. I’m trying to help him too, it’s nice that your friends are helping you. Harry said that you also didn’t put your name at the goblet,” the girl told her in a lower voice.

“And I didn’t. I have no idea why someone would bother putting my name at this thing,” said Aurora and the other agreed.

“Just be careful, ok? This tournament is really dangerous, people died competing on it,” said Hermione worriedly and the other smiled.

“I’m always careful, Granger,” said Aurora with a smirk.

“You went back to the tents at the tournament where death eaters where looking for muggles and muggle-borns! You’re anything but careful! What would you do if they got you?” snapped Hermione and the other laughed.

“I didn’t really thought about it, thankfully nothing happened,” said the girl with a thoughtful face.

“Honestly!” exclaimed Hermione.

Aurora could swear she heard a whisper but couldn’t found anyone around them.

“Oh, Harry asked me to say he’s sorry about the article,” said Hermione eying her side nervously again and Aurora rolled her eyes.

“Of course he is. It’s alright, I knew Skeeter would write some rubbish article. I feel bad for Cedric thought,” said the girl and Hermione agreed.

“Me too… I mean, we do. Me _and_ Harry,” said Hermione with a nervous smile.

“Uhum… Well; I should leave you to meet Ron then. Perhaps we can meet later at the three broomstick,” said Rory and Hermione agreed.

“Bye then, Hermione,” said Aurora eyeing the side where she noticed her friend glancing repeatedly.

She gave the bushy headed girl a smile before going back to her friends.

\-------------------------

Aurora went to the gryffindor common room that night. She and Fay were practicing spells until very late at night and pass midnight she decided to go back to the carriages (or the library) since she notice her friend was tired.

“I’ll be going now, thank you Fayfay,” said the redhead walking towards the door.

“Meet you tomorrow in the library?” asked the girl stretching and Aurora agreed.

“Straight to the carriage Aurora, not to the library,” ordered Fay and the ginger girl agreed.

“I will,” said Aurora.

“Night,” she said walking out of the dorm.

As she was walking down the stairs she saw Potter throwing one of the “POTTER STINKS” badges at Ron and storm out to the dorm. Aurora walked down and soon enough the redheaded boy eyed her.

“What are you doing here?” he spat angrily.

“You hold that temper before I hex you back to London. If you and your dear toerag of a friend are not in speaking terms is not my fault so you don’t go around snapping at people just because you’re angry,” answered the girl trying to not lose her own temper.

“What do you know about what happened?” he asked angrily.

“That you’re even more of a git than I thought you were. Turning you back at your best friend because you’re jealous is simply ridiculous and I must admit that I never took you for envious type, but I suppose I should’ve seen it coming,” said the girl sharply.

“You have no idea of what you’re talking about! You’re both cheaters, you and him,” said the boy coming closer to her.

“I didn’t putted my name on that thing and neither did Potter,” said the girl and he snorted.

“Right. As if I believe you,” he muttered.

“Do I look like I bloody care about you believe?” said the girl and Ron went red.

“Why are you defending him? You don’t even like him,” he screamed to the girl.

“I don’t and neither do you, apparently,” she snapped back.

“I’m not saying this because _I like him_ , in fact. I still think he’s the most arrogant, petulant person I’ve ever met, but this isn’t about _liking,_ it’s about that is right and this isn’t right. You know it isn’t. As much as I despise him, he doesn’t deserve that. You’re being a jealous prick,” said the girl and the boy remained silent. Aurora gave a loud humorless laugh.

“You know; that is funny. All of my _slytherin_ friends are helping me through this tournament because Merlin knows how overwhelming it can be. I mean, I’m so damn worried because I have no idea of what I’m going to do. Still; my friends are trying their best and going out of their way to help me and I’m so grateful for everything they’ve been doing.” Started the girl.

“Your best friend is going through a living hell with people at this school and you don’t even care. You’re so hooked up in your jealously that you don’t even notice that someone might be _actually_ trying to kill him,” snapped Aurora and the boy went three shades paler.

“So next time you even thing about opening your mouth to say a word about any of my friends, you make sure that you’re at least the half of the friends they are” she said sharply and the boy opened and closed his mouth repeatedly.

“This… One thing has nothing to do with the other…” He said and the girl snorted.

“You are pathetic, Ronald Weasley,” finished Aurora walking out of the common room.


	9. The First Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so sorry I took too long. I was having some problems with my computer but now I think I'll be able to post more. Thank you for the patience.
> 
> I hope you enjoy :)

Aurora spent the next few days training and studying like crazy. She had realized that Fleur was practicing a specific spell and Hermione seemed to be very focused on helping Harry perfect some spell.

Aurora didn't know how she would handle everything if it wasn't for her friends. The redhead thought it was funny how people said slytherins were unreliable, she would entrust her life to Nico and Celeste without even thinking twice. Of course she trusted Fay blindly too, but both knew that the prejudice they suffered she would never have to deal with. One thing Aurora realized over the years was that gryffindors had far more problems with slytherins than the opposite. Of course, there were terrible slytherins, but her experience had shown her that bad people would happen independently of the house.

Another thing Aurora knew is that there are no better allies for anything than slytherins. Nico was the person with the biggest network that the girl ever met and she was sure that he was much more influential than he let on, he got information that Aurora would not even dream of. Moreover, the boy had a resourceful and strategic way of thinking that the redhead simply did not understand. Now Celeste, well; Cece was a born leader. She had a charisma that made people respect her, much like her father, besides having a diplomatic posture that the redhead couldn't even dream of having. The blonde didn't used to take charge of many things, but no one dared to challenge or doubt anything that she spoke. Not even Draco.

The girl thought that nobody had a more versatile group. Nico was a powerful mind and an influential person to have around (so much so that she could only learn about so many things in such a short time because the right people told him where to find the right books). Cece was the perfect person to lead all sorts of people. Some would call it manipulation, but the blonde called it cunning. "Never be on the bad side of people you may need" was what Cece always said. As for Fay, she was potentially the bravest girl Aurora had ever met. The girl didn't mind putting herself at risk to help the people she cared about. The main reason she and the redhead developed a friendship was the brunette not bound to prejudice and supposition attitude. The girl always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt but did not hesitate to take a stand against people who made naughty comments against their friends for no apparent reason.

In the end; they all became friends because even if they were incredibly different, they shared some similar values. "Slyffindor" was born because regardless of the house, the people were what matter most. They were friends and looked out for each other, in their own way. And that; was something not everyone could have. Aurora felt very lucky, she had the best people by her side and could not be more grateful, but more than that. She felt sorry for the people who thought slytherins were not good people. They would never know that they were not only good at saving their own skin, but those of the people they cared about as well; and besides that. It was a shame that some people would never know that they could be as smart as any ravenclaw, as brave as any gryffindor and most important... As loyal as any hufflepuff.

In the morning of the first task, Aurora woke up unwillingly and soon remembered that that day was probably the worst day of her life. She slowly got up and started to get ready taking much more time than usual. Her schoolmates gave her funny looks and she tried not to panic at any cost. The atmosphere at school was of great tension and excitement. Classes were to be interrupted at noon, for students time to organize themselves to attend the task. She couldn't be feeling worse, there were people laughing lightly and booing (especially at Beauxbatons). Aurora's despair was so great that she didn't even see the morning go by and consequently she didn't pay attention to any of the classes, nor was sure on how she got to the classrooms. When it was finally lunch, Aurora was sitting at the slytherin table with her friends.

"Relax, Rory. You will do great. We're sure of it," assured Fay.

"She's right. You studied very hard and you're an incredible witch. We're sure you're going to be great," agreed Nico.

"But you're not going to survive anything if you faint before even get to your task," said Cece.

"She's right. You need to eat something," said Fay putting a few potatoes at her plate.

Aurora was about to start eating but Minerva came running towards her.

"Miss Wyer, the champions have to go down to the gardens now.... You have to prepare yourself for the first task." she said, Aurora looked at her plate and got up.

"OK" she answered in a half-shaky voice.

"Hey. We will be watching you from the stands and as soon as the task is over, we'll find you," said Nico softly and Aurora agreed.

"Go on girl. You ran in the middle of a death eater attack, you can handle that," said Fay with a smirk and Aurora agreed with a smile.

The redhead left the great hall with the teacher and professor McGonagall seemed very nervous as she led the student down the stone steps, she stopped abruptly and put her hand Aurora's shoulder.

"Now, don't panic," she said.

"Who? Me? Pft... I'm definably _not panicking_. At all," rambled the girl panicking and the woman eyed her in a mix of worry and amusement.

"Keep calm... We have witches on hand to solve the situation if something goes wrong" she spoke trying to reassure the girl.

"The main thing is for you to do the best you can and nobody will think badly of you for that.... Are you all right?" she completed, Aurora agreed.

"Brilliant," the redhead said, McGonagall looked at the girl understandingly.

Aurora was taken to a place she had never seen before. It seemed to be the edge of the forest. When they arrived at the next tree they came across a tent that had the entrance facing the one who arrived.

"You must enter there with the other champions," said McGonagall, with a somewhat trembling voice

"And wait your turn, Aurora. Mr. Bagman is in there and will tell you how to... Proceed... Good luck." she wished, Aurora forced a smile.

"Thank you" she said with a smile.

_Oh my Merlin..._

It was the only thing she could think about.

The teacher then turned and left the young girl at the entrance of the tent. Aurora sighed and went in.

Fleur was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look at all like the usual composite girl, she looked a little pale and sweaty. "Krumdelicious" looked even more grumpy than usual, which probably meant he was nervous. Cedric was walking back and forth and send a brief smile when he saw the redhead. Harry was already standing still and seemed very far away.

"At last! Miss Wyer, how nice!" exclaimed Bagman cheerfully, coming towards the girl. The ginger girl looked at him bored.

"Come in, come in, make yourself at home"

Bagman for some reason looked like a much uglier comic book character, standing there among the pale champions and totally ignoring their state, he was cheerful, wearing the old Wasp robes.

"Well, now we are all here, time to give you more detailed information!" he said cheerfully.

"When the spectators have finished arriving, I will offer each of you this bag" he showed a little purple silk bag and shook it in front of everyone. Aurora felt her throat dry and her heart felt like it was about to come out of her mouth.

"From which you will take a miniature of the thing you will have to face! They're different... Um... The varieties, you see. And I must say one more thing... Ah, yes... Your task will be to catch the golden egg!" he explained with the same unbearable tone of animation.

Aurora passed her eyes through the other competitors. Cedric nodded to indicate that he had understood Bagman's words and started walking around the tent again (she noticed that he looked slightly greenish); Fleur and Krum didn't have the slightest reaction and Harry looked like he was going to vomit at any second.

Soon after, hundreds and hundreds of feet were heard passing by the tent. The owners seemed annoyingly excited, laughing loudly and making jokes. Aurora felt her stomach sink deeper and deeper, if only she knew what she was up against. The redhead didn't even notice time passing and soon Bagman was opening his purple bag.

"First the ladies," he said, offering it to Fleur.

She stuck her trembling hand in the bag and removed a tiny, perfect figurine from... Dragon. The only thing Aurora could notice was that he had the number "two" hanging from his neck. She realized that Fleur did not show the slightest sign of surprise, but a decided resignation. And then it became clear. _She knew_.

She looked stunned at the bag in the man's hand and felt her heartbeat increase more and more. How, in the name of Saint Merlin, would she face a dragon? She had read about them, but did Aurora knew enough to defeat one? The way she was the girl didn't think she would even remember her own name.

"Miss Wyer." the man called touching her arm lightly. She stared at him and realized that everyone was looking at her, he extended his bag and the redhead put her trembling hand inside him. The little figure that came out was of a Ukrainian dragon who had the number "five" on his neck.

With Krumdelicious, it was no different; he took off what had the number "three" hanging around his neck. And he didn't sketch any reaction, he just looked at the floor. Cedric stuck his hand in the bag and removed the dragon with the number "one" hanging from his neck. Harry then stuck his hand in the bag and took out the number "four".

"Well, that's that!" said Bagman.

"Each of you has drawn the dragon you will face and the order in which each of you will do it, do you understand? Now I'm going to have to leave you for a moment, because I'm going to do the irradiation. Mr. Diggory, you're the first one, all you have to do is enter the enclosure when you hear the whistle, right? Now... Harry... May I have a word with you? Outside?" said the cheerful bastard.

"Um... Yes, sir" said Potter without emotion as he got up and left the tent with Bagman.

Aurora sat down and sank her face in her hands. A dragon. A damn dragon, what was that name again? Norwegian? No, she remembered them from the book she read in the library. That one was different, what was the name?

"Aurora?" she heard a voice calling. Aurora lifted her head and saw Cedric looking at her with an attempt to smile.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Is everything ok?" he asked.

"Yes," she simply replied and he sat down next to her.

"What have you prepared?" he asked, the redhead stared at him confused for a while and then, as if a slap had hit her forehead, everything became clear. _Everyone there knew_.

"I.... Well...." the girl started, but soon the whistle was heard. He turned a little green and Aurora gave him a light slap on the arm.

"Good luck." she wished, he smiled nervously and headed outside the tent.

Seconds later the girls mind wandered around on how she would defeat a dragon. Before anything, she knew she needed to stay calm. Aurora got up and took a deep breath, she was never the type to become desperate under pressure and it wouldn't be now that she would start. The girl started to mentally go over everything she had read (which helped her organize her mind and calm down). When she was much calmer, the girl looked at her colleagues, the oldest Krum continued to look at the floor and Fleur had now started to retrace Cedric's steps, walking around the tent.

Then, about fifteen minutes later Aurora heard a deafening roar that could only mean one thing: Cedric had managed to pass the dragon.

"Really very good!" shouted Bagman.

"And now the judges' notes!"

Since he didn't radiate the notes, she guessed the judges were raising them high to show them to the crowd.

"One down, four to go!" shouted Bagman, when the whistle sounded again.

"Miss Delacour, please!" he called.

Fleur seemed to shake from head to toe. Aurora touched the girl's arm lightly and she turned surprised.

"Good luck," Aurora wished with a smile, the blonde reciprocated and left the tent with her head held high and her hand pressing the wand.

That left Aurora, Harry and Krum. They were one in every corner of the tent. Soon the comments and Bagman were heard. The redhead couldn't tell if it was because she was too focused on passing on her knowledge of dragons that she hadn't noticed them, but they certainly made the situation much worse.

"Ah, I'm not sure if this was wise!" the man said animatedly.

"Ah... almost! Careful now... My good God, I thought she had already caught it!"

Ten minutes later again the crowd broke in applause and a while later, another whistle. That followed once more and then her turn came. Aurora headed for the exit of the tent and the next thing she saw was the cheering on all sides surrounding a small arena. In the middle of it, a huge greyish dragon was throwing fire on all sides.

The redhead watched the dragon and soon realized that the noise of the crowd was making him very angry. He seemed to notice the girls' presence and threw a fire in her direction. Aurora quickly muttered a fire resistance spell (hopefully it worked in any kind of fire). In fact, she must admit that the history of magic class provided her this knowledge, aparently it wasn't _that_ useless of a class, it was just boring.

The girl put her face in her arms when the fire struck her, she was not burned, but was covered with ashes. The redhead ran, and quickly hid behind a stone. The crowd screamed even more and seemed to make the dragon angrier. Aurora pointed the wand at the audience and spoke.

"Silencio!" she bellowed casting the spell and suddenly the whole audience was mute. Their mouths were moving, but no sound came out.

The dragon seemed to calm down and then Aurora started thinking again. What could she do now? The redhead walked cautiously to another stone and saw the egg. The creature was close to the object and if she wanted to take the egg she would need to move the dragon away. The girl took a deep breath. If she could just tie him. Not to hurt him, but to slow him down. He was closer and soon the girl remembered a spell she read in one of the books. Incarcerous. Well; it was a very difficult spell and it probably wouldn't work, but it could. Right?

She pointed the wand at the dragon and spoke "Incarcerous", making the movement she remembered seeing in the book and thinking where she wanted the ropes to go. Ropes flew from the wand and ran over the poor animal's legs. The girl didn't even have time to celebrate and soon started to ran to the egg, but before she could reach it the ropes came loose and the dragon came towards her. Aurora ran, grabbed the egg and jumped off the rock. She felt a pain in her ankle, but ignored it. She just needed to get to a safe place so the professors would interfere, but the animal knocked her down and came to attack her.

The redhead turned to the side right before the flames hit her and she saw it hit the ground next to where she was. Aurora got up and started running. The creature was coming right behind her and forced the girl against one of the rock. She had one more spell in mind, but she wasn't sure it was going to work. She remembered Nico saying that it could do a lot of damage if done wrong in humans, which meant it could work on a dragon. Right? She pointed the wand at the dragon and yelled.

"Reducio." she bellowed pointing to the animal and doing what she had learned in the second year.

In a matter of seconds the dragon started to shrink to the height of the girl's knee and soon the guards appeared. Aurora walked slowly to the enclosure ignoring all the pain she felt in her left leg. As soon as the girl left the arena she could heard roars and screams.

Aurora fell to the ground and began to gasp, thinking about what had just happened. Did she really conjured a seventh year spell without ever having tried it? Merlin was interceding on her behalf at that arena, it had to be.

"Fantastic, Miss Wyer," exclaimed Professor McGonagall helping the girl up. Aurora got up with difficulty and faced her with a light smile.

"Thank you," thanked the girl and the teacher pointed her to the tent where madam Pomfrey was.

Aurora went to the place and soon found a woman who looked worried.

"Dragons!" she exclaimed with a disgusted voice, helping the girl walk inside.

The tent was divided into small cubicles and Aurora could see someone's silhouette through the canvas. The healer examined the girls' ankle mumbling several things.

"I don't know why all these creatures. First dementors and now dragons. Honestly, what else are they bringing to this school? You were very lucky.... It was just a twist," she said sighing in relief.

"Now hold still a minute, sit down! Then you can go and get your note," she said pointing the wand at the girl's foot and muttering a spell.

The nurse rushed out and Aurora moved her foot feeling no pain. She decided to get out of there before madam Pomfrey came back to examine her again. The redhead wanted to know what was happening and before she reached the entrance of the tent three similar faces appeared. Aurora smiled as Cece and Fay thrown their arms around the girl.

"You were so cool," celebrated Fay and Cece agreed.

"Incredibly cool," agreed the blonde, shaking her head. Aurora gave them a smile.

"You performed the spell perfectly, everyone was impressed," said Nico and the redhead gave him a hug.

"Thanks to you," she said and he snorted.

"I gave you the books, you learned it alone," he said and she smiled.

"Come on, they'll announce your notes," Cece spoke.

Aurora took her wand and the golden egg. She had to admit, she was bloody happy with her results on the task. If she considered that she was the only one who had no idea what she was up against, she thought that she was bloody brilliant.

"You did very well! Really! When the dragon blew fire on you and we all thought he had hit, or rather when you silenced everyone in the bleachers. It was sensational! The best thing is; no one showed as much skill as you did. Cedric did a strange thing, transfigured a stone of the ground, turned it into a dog. He tried to make the dragon advance on the dog and not on him. It was very clever, I think. Fleur tried a kind of spell that I imagine was to make the dragon go into a trance or sleep, it also worked. Krum, on the other hand, attacked the dragon with a spell right in his eye. He only had one problem, the animal went out in agony and crushed half of the real eggs. It was very sad, but it worked." Explained Fay, they couldn't help but laugh at her excitement.

The four of them arrived at the enclosure and now it was clear where the five judges were sitting, it was at one end in high seats covered with golden cloth.

"Each one gives notes from one to ten," Cece explained. Rory began to twist her hands anxiously and turned her gaze towards the first judge. Madame Maxime lifted the wand in the air and out of it came a long silver ribbon that drew a big six in the air. Rora made a face; it was obvious that she would not give the girl a high note.

"What?" exclaimed Nico angrily.

"Not surprised," the redhead mumbled to them.

Mr. Crouch threw a fillet in the air, the number nine formed in the air. Cece, Nico and Fay celebrated.

Soon after it was Dumbledore's turn, he in turn projected a ten and Aurora was stunned. At this point the crowd cheered super animated.

"Ten? Really?" Aurora asked incredulously. Cece celebrated and Fay applauded.

"You must have impressed him, I particularly think you deserved it," said the blonde.

After him, Ludo Bagman designed a nine and finally Karkaroff lifted the wand. He paused briefly and then came out a number of his wand as well. To everyone's surprise (including Auroras), it was a six.

"What?" shouted Cece with a laugh.

"Six? It was the only one for whom he gave a note bigger than four," Nico said with an incredulous tone.

Aurora wasn't expecting anything, and was more than satisfied. She didn't believe she was able to handle a grindylow and here she was after literally fighting a dragon who wasn't one of her schoolmates. The redhead didn't care about her notes, at all, the only thing that she could think about was how bloody proud of herself she was. 


	10. Rita Skeeter... Again

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter. Aurora was anything but happy to be sleeping at the carriages. The girl had already got sick three times because of the weather change and her thin uniform. In the Care about the Magical creatures class they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson.

"Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip... We'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes...."

There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the ugliest things Aurora had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.

"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said,

"An' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens. "

But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Aurora was laughing aloud at the entire situation as she helped Hagrid, Ron, Hermione and Harry. Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left.

"Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back.

"Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks.

"Well, well, well... This does look like fun.”

Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm. She looked uglier than she normally did.

Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Ron and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby.

"Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted.

"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows.

Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said.

"What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, beaming still more widely.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," grunted Hagrid.

"Really?" said Rita, apparently full of lively interest.

"I've never heard of them before... Where do they come from?"

Aurora narrowed her eyes at the woman but remained calm.

Aurora noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and her heart sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly,

"They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they. Harry?"

"What? Oh yeah... Ouch... Interesting," said Harry as she stepped on his foot.

"Ah, you're here. Harry!" said Rita Skeeter as she looked around.

"So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"

"Yes," said Harry stoutly. Hagrid beamed at him.

"Lovely," said Rita.

"Really lovely. Been teaching long?" she added to Hagrid.

Aurora noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek). Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear.

"This is o'ny me second year," said Hagrid.

"Lovely... I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these - er - Bang-Ended Scoots. "

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid said eagerly. "Er --"

“That’s enough,” said Aurora.

The redhead hurriedly walked close to the fence and grabbed the reporter by the arm, pulling her away from the class. She heard the students leaving Hagrid's house, but ignored. The girl pulled the woman so hard that she found it difficult to stand.

"I am leaving this class and going directly to notify Professor Dumbledore of your untimely visit," threatened the girl and soon she saw the quill coming out of the woman's purse.

"Is that a threat?" she asked with a smile.

"No, it's a warning. You're not allowed to be inside the castle, let alone stand in the way of any class," the girl retorted coldly and the woman's s smile wavered.

"If I even dream that you're here again, I'll make you sure the Ministry knows about your visits to class even with a clear prohibition to be even near the castle," she threatened, Skeeter pale and said nothing.

Well; theoretically _she_ wouldn't do anything. However, Thomas Fawcett was another story. After all, the man hated the woman with all his might.

"Understood," the woman said with a forced smile.

Aurora saw that the quill was writing everything she talked about on a pad of paper; the redhead pulled the wand out of her clothes and pointed to the pad.

"What you--" began the woman.

"Incendio" said the girl and in a matter of seconds they both decimated themselves into ashes.

"You idiot," shouted the woman, Aurora threw a cynical smile at her.

"Shouting at a student, unprofessional," she provoked.

"Now, I think you need to go," the redhead finished. The reporter gave her one last look of hate and withdrew.

Aurora returned to her class and soon heard Fay's scandalous laugh.

"You're mad! Aren't you afraid of what this woman will write about you?" asked the girl amidst laughter.

"Well; she's already said that I'm poor, rude with a lousy personality, an orphan, which I'm not, by the way, with a lot of behavioral problems and a terrible temper," the girl quoted, and several students laughed.

"I just hope that if she's going to write about me it's at least something that other people don't already know," said the redhead simply and some people laughed.

"That was brilliant," said Weasley and she stared at him.

The boy seemed to remember the last argument they had since he was blushing when he noticed the girl's look.

"It took time," said Aurora, and he shrugged with a weak smile. Harry stared at them without understanding.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing," he rushed to tell the boy.

The redhead laughed and followed her friends.

"What did she say to you?" Harry asked his friend.

"If I talked to him and not to you I believe it's because it's none of your business, Potter," answered the redhead.

"You love to keep insulting my friends, especially Ron. How can I not care what kind of crap you keep telling him?" the boy said irritated.

"Harry, drop it. It was no big deal, really," Ron said.

"The truth isn't crap, Potter. It's just facts," she fought back.

"And why don't you save your facts for yourself and your little slytherin friends," Harry spat and Aurora approached him.

"You don't try to speak a word of my friends, you arrogant, presumptuous toerag. Don't you dare open your mouth to say anything about them, especially because your friends aren’t half the people they are," shouted Aurora very red. The whole class kept quiet.

"Well; I guess we'll call it a day," said Hagrid and Aurora took her purse in anger and headed for the castle.

"Really, it was no big deal. The day I met you in the common room at night she was coming down from the girls' dorm, she called me out for being a git. Of course we argued, but overall she was right. She said I was being a terrible friend, that I must have been more worried about who might have been trying to hurt you with this tournament than doubting that you had signed up," said Ron with pink ears and Harry blushed.

"Fine, but you can't blame me for thinking she was talking rubbish. Besides, she can take all my patience with all that..." he began with an angry sigh.

"I know. I mean, it's Aurora. She takes away anyone's patience. But I think you should apologize," Ron said,

"I won't apologize," Harry said stubbornly.

"What she told me was what made me think of everything that was happening," Ron said.

"It doesn't matter. She keeps insulting me and never apologizes. Every time we argue she calls me toerag, arrogant, presumptuous, petulant and so forth..." Harry explained as they walked back to the castle.

"Well..." Hermione began and the boy turned to her.

"Do you think she's right?" the boy asked slightly irritated.

"Never mind, Harry," Hermione said, and they were silent.

Yes. She thought that in many things Aurora said were right. Harry could be her best friend and because she knew him, she knew that his personality was not easy at all, he complained about the redhead's temper, but he himself wasn't that easy to handle. So Hermione knew that sometimes he needed someone to say things he didn't want to hear.


	11. Ball Invitations...

Aurora was in transfiguration class with Fay, trying not to yell at Potter and Weasley so that they would stop disrupting the class.

"Merlin they're unbearable," murmured the angry redhead.

"You should be used to it by now," said Fay quietly laughing.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look.

"I have something to say to you all.”

“The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry, and Aurora rolled her eyes again.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued,

"And the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -"

Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.

"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.

Aurora and Fay almost laughed aloud. Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on.

"That we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way. "

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor McGonagall called above the noise.

"Potter, Wyer - a word, if you please."

Aurora frowned, not understanding and turned to Fay.

“I’ll meet you at the great hall,” she said and her friend agreed.

The girl glared at Harry and walked towards the teacher’s desk. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said.

"Potter, Wyer the champions and their partners -"

"What partners?" said Harry.

Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny. Auroras’ face shouldn’t be much different.

"Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly.

"Your dance partners."

Aurora growled annoyed and the teacher glared at her.

“I’m sorry, professor. It’s just that Madam Maxime, _might_ have forgot to tell me that,” said the redhead.

"Dance partners?" Harry said going red.

"I don't dance," he said quickly.

"Oh yes, you do," said Professor McGonagall irritably.

"That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball. "

"I'm not dancing," he said.

"It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly.

"You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter. "

“Same goes for you, Wyer. But I assume that mustn’t be so hard for you,” she said with a shadow smile and Aurora felt her face burn.

"But - I don't -"

"You heard me, Potter," said Professor McGonagall in a very final sort of way.

A week ago. Harry would have said finding a partner for a dance would be a cinch compared to taking on a Hungarian Horntail, but now that he had done the latter, and was facing the prospect of asking a girl to the ball, he thought he'd rather have another round with the dragon.

Harry had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; he always did, of course, because the alternative was usually going back to Privet Drive, but he had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, however, everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball - or at least all the girls were, and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night....

And then, it hit him. What did the professor mean with _“mustn’t be so hard for you”_? Could Aurora find a partner that easily? Ok, she was popular, but would be that easy for her to ask someone if she had to?

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry.

"How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested.

"Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else.... Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular.

Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you. "

In tribute to their recently repaired friendship, Ron had kept the bitterness in his voice to a bare minimum. Moreover, to Harry's amazement, he turned out to be quite right.

A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the very next day. Harry was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, and Harry had to endure Dean's, Seamus's, and Ron's taunts about her all through History of Magic. At lunch late that day, a conversation left him questioning a few things.

“Oi. Can I ask you something?” said Seamus on his side, Harry agreed while putting food on his plate.

“What do you think about Aurora?” he asked and Harry chocked with his juice.

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“I was thinking about asking her to the ball,” Seamus said.

“Her? Why?” asked Ron.

“Are you mad? Have you looked at her? She’s stunning,” he said as if it was obvious.

“I suppose she’s ok,” said Ron and the other boy snorted.

“Yeah, ok. You’re aware that half of the boys are thinking about inviting her,” said Seamus.

“Why would someone want to invite Aurora Wyer to the yule ball? She’s a nightmare,” said Ron.

“Actually, Aurora is really nice. She’s popular with all the houses and pretty much everyone likes her,” said Seamus.

“Anyway, what do you think? Should I ask her?” Finnigan asked again and Harry twitched his nose.

“I heard she already have a date,” blurted Harry and mentally slapped himself.

“Oh, really? That’s bad, I guess I’ll try Lavender then. See you guys later,” said the boy getting up.

Harry looked over the slytherin table where a famous redhead was happily eating with her friends. Why would someone want to spend an entire night with that girl? So, ok. Maybe Aurora was pretty; actually, now that he was paying attention, she was really pretty. Her long and fiery hair was in a medium ponytail, her pale skin was rosy around the cheeks and nose and her big hazel eyes glowed from the other side of the great hall…. The boy sighed. Ok, _she was stunning_. Still, she didn’t seemed the type of girl to have a nice night. She was always moody, angry and yelling, but again. Now that he thought about it, she was _indeed_ nice to everyone but him.

Harry growled frustrated.

“You alright there?” asked Ron with a smirk and following his gaze. Harry blushed.

“Yes,” he answered.

“If you want, ask her. Before someone else does,” said Ron.

“I don’t want to ask her anything,” muttered Harry and Ron snorted.

“Right,” said the redhead with a smile.

“Why are you saying that, you don’t even like her,” Harry said to his friend.

“I don’t but you do,” he said and the raven-haired boy looked at him.

“I don’t like her,” he said and Ron laughed.

“If you say so,” Ron told him with a smirk and Harry growled again.

He was frustrated. Why she was so nice to everyone _but_ him? Everyone said that she was super nice and funny to be around; he knew for sure that she was hilarious and when he first met her, he actually did wanted to be close to her. He saw the amount of people that stopped to greet her at the Quidditch world cup and now he was wondering why the only thing he could get from her was yells? He knew she didn’t liked him, he just didn’t knew why. For him, she was way too much work and she could make him lost his temper without even trying.

Still, for some reason Harry didn’t understand. He found himself saying to everyone who asked him or that he heard talking that Aurora already had a date and to his surprise, he was actually considering on asking her. 

\------------------

Aurora sat in the middle between Nico and Cece and huffed.

"Five. Five invitations in less than half a day," grumbled the girl by putting food on her plate. Fay laughed lightly.

"And why are you angry? Who invited you so far?" asked the brunette.

"Two boys from Durmstrang, Michael Connor, Cedric and Lee Jordan," the girl said.

"Cedric asked you to the ball!" Cece exclaimed softly and the redhead agreed.

"And which of the five are you going with?" asked Nico.

"None of them," answered the girl simply and they stared at her incredulously.

"What do you mean?" asked Cece and the girl sighed.

"Yeah, I don't get it. Lots of guys and I mean _lots of them_ , came to ask me if I was going to take you to the dance because you already had a date. If it's none of them and it's not me, then who is it?" asked Nico and the redhead laughed.

"I'm going with Ivan," she said and they stared at her.

"I'm going to have to dance in front of all the students and spend the whole night with someone, so I wanted to go with someone I knew I would have fun with. Besides, Ivan wanted to go to the ball, but since he's a third year, he couldn't," the girl explained.

"And, they asked me after I had already told Ivan that I would go with him. But I admit, I heard rumors that I had a date even before I had one. Regardless of who started the rumor, I thank them because I hadn't had a minute's peace since they announced the ball," said the girl and her friends rolled their eyes.

"I really want to punch you once in a while," Fay said with a sigh.

"I think little Potter will be upset to know, I heard he wanted to invite you," Nico said with a sly smile.

"Oh, that's right. He'd never invite me and I'd never accept, can you imagine having to spend the whole night in his company? It must be torture," said the redhead and they laughed.

"But you have to admit, he's fine," Cece said maliciously.

Aurora rolled her eyes, but stared at the boy at the gryffindor table. Indeed, he was very attractive. The redhead looked at him more closely, from the black and rebellious hair to the green eyes that seemed to shine under the glasses. Harry Potter was certainly very attractive, but she didn't know if he was worth the headache that came with him. That is, she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to spend the whole night with him. Maybe he was funny, as she had noticed on some occasions, and maybe he was more enjoyable than she knew, as the girl had also heard. But she couldn't help but think of him as an arrogant, presumptuous, bad tempered arse. To prove that no one should be forced to spend the night with him, he had Weasley. No one deserves to spend a ball night in the company of both of them.

"Anyway, what about you?" asked the redhead.

"I was going to invite Krum, but apparently he's already got a date, Theo called me and I ended up accepting, I think he's pretty cool though," said the blonde shrugging.

"I don't think I know him very well, he's a bit of a loner, isn't he? He was nice to me a few times though," said Aurora and the blonde agreed.

"And you Nico?" asked the redhead.

"Ah, well; I haven't called anyone yet. I wanted to call someone, but I don't know if they're available yet," said the boy most interested in the food on his plate.

"And you Fay?" he asked, and the brunette sighed.

"Some boys invited me, but I was waiting for someone to call me so..." she murmured, and Aurora exchanged a glance of understanding with Cece.

"I see. Well, if this boy doesn't call you, I guarantee you'll get a nice date. I heard Lee wanted to invite you," Aurora said, taking her backpack and getting up.

"I need to finish the transfiguration essay, I'll see you later," said the girl bidding goodbye.

"Wait, I need to return some books too," said Nico going after the girl.

The two walked out of the great hall and into the library.

"So... When are you going to find the guts to invite Fay to the Ball?" asked the redhead and Nico knocked over all the books he was holding.

Aurora laughed and helped her friend. Now, now. She never thought she'd see Nicodemilous lose his composure, but it was kind of cute.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked and Aurora saw the boy's cheeks were red.

“My, my. I never thought I would see the great Nicodemilous blushing this much,” teased the girl and he glared at her.

She laughed and denied.

"Not much, but I know you two. And that's why I'm sure Fay will accept," the girl assured him.

"But she wants a specific boy to invite her," he grumbled and Aurora slapped him on the forehead.

"And in a snap of fingers, a bright mind reduces to the intelligence of a troll," teased the girl and he rolled his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and the redhead huffed.

"Merlin, if I ever thought you were intelligent, it's because I'm stupid," the girl grumbled.

"Aurora," he said impatiently.

"It's you, you imbecile! You're the mysterious boy!" the girl exclaimed in a low tone and he widened his eyes and gave a smile.

"Is that right? Did she say that?" he asked with a happy smile.

"She didn't even have to. Now go, invite her before someone else does," said the redhead and the boy gave the books he was holding for her.

"You can..." he began and Aurora rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I'll give them back. Go," she said and the boy hurried out of the room.


End file.
